China – Traces of the Past

Guided tour of the exhibition by Eric Lefebvre, director of the Cernuschi Museum.

This exhibition was made possible thanks to the close collaboration between the Cernuschi Museum and the Zhejiang Provincial Museum.

In China, scholars began to take an interest in ancient inscriptions during the Song dynasty (960-1279) and created a discipline called jinshixue (study of metals and stonesIndeed, scholars were fascinated by the inscriptions engraved on ancient bronze ritual vessels or stone stelae, both for their historical and aesthetic value. This movement was amplified under the Qing dynasty (1644-1912), particularly during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor (1711-1799). Following the Song model, publications took the form of illustrated and widely distributed catalogs.

The visitor is greeted in the first room by a large stamped image of the commemorative inscription the opening of the Baoxie mountain roadThis inscription, dating from the Eastern Han dynasty (25-220), was carved into a rock face, which explains the irregular appearance of the calligraphy. Published during the Song dynasty, it was forgotten for centuries before being rediscovered in the 18th century.^rd century. Opposite, another rubbing of a Western Han inscription (206 BC – 9 AD) was made by the monk Liuzhou (1791-1858). It is particularly valuable because the original stone was destroyed in 1860.

Liuzhou (1791-1858). Rubbing of a land purchase certificate from the 2nd year of the Dijie era (67 BC). Ink on paper. Qing Dynasty (1644-1912).

Tamp of the ceiling of the first chamber of the Wu Liang ci. Detail showing Taiyi and the wheels of the Big Dipper chariot. Ink on paper. Late Qing dynasty (1644-1912).

Feng Yunpeng (1765-1839). Jinshi suo (Index of Metal and Stone Prints). Printed on paper. 19th century. Qing Dynasty (1644-1912).

The next room is dedicated to rubbings of the Wu family tomb, during the Eastern Han dynasty (25-220). It was during this period, in the 2nd^rd It was during the 1st century AD that the iconographic repertoire flourished. The scenes are organized in horizontal registers, alternating narrative scenes with geometric patterns or swirling clouds. The significance of these rubbings lies in the fact that all the figures are accompanied by inscriptions allowing for their identification. Thus, the upper register of the west wall of the third chamber depicts the mythical ancestors Fuxi and Nüwa, before legendary rulers and historical emperors. The lower register of the rubbing on the ceiling of the first chamber shows a procession of chariots and immortals framing the Big Dipper and the god Taiyi, supreme emperor of Taoism. Its discovery in 1786 by Huang Yi (1744-1802) initiated an effort to preserve the monuments and disseminate the engraved images. Huang Yi will publish a work in which he reproduces and comments on inscriptions as well as certain engraved figures, such as the Divine Ploughman from the Wu family tomb. The figure of the Divine Ploughman is found in the Jinshi suo (Index of engravings on metal and stone) by Feng Yunpeng (1765-1839).

During the Song dynasty (960-1279), publications of inscriptions on bronze ritual vessels from the early dynasties depicted the object drawn with a brush and the inscription traced by hand. During the Qing dynasty, the monk Liuzhou was one of the inventors of a new technique, quanxing ta (integral stamping), which allowed the object to be viewed in three dimensions and, sometimes, from different angles. He also proceeded, by cutting, to stamp the inscriptions located inside or under the containers. A scroll made from two stamps of a bronze oil lamp produced by Liuzhou was painted by Chen Geng (active in the 19th century).^rd (s.). The painter includes two miniature portraits of the monk, one raising his head towards the inscription and the other, crouching, lifting it. This is an extremely rare example of a portrait of an epigrapher in action. A rubbing of the portrait of Ruan Yuan, the famous scholar and collector, is dated 1829 and annotated by Liang Qichao (1873-1929). This portrait was engraved on a stele, formerly erected in the Xuehai Tang Academy, which Ruan Yuan had founded in Guangzhou. Alongside this work, a full rubbing of three bronze vases from Ruan Yuan's collection, by Liuzhou, clearly illustrates the "cut-out" technique where, alongside the three-dimensional rubbings of the vases, one can see the rubbings of the inscriptions. A scroll by Fei Danxu (1801-1850), Reminiscences of the orchard It depicts the epigrapher Zhang Tingji (1768-1848) seated before his nephew. The latter and the young son of Jiang Guangxu (1813-1860), the orchard's owner, met an early end, and the painter provides a nostalgic account of his stay alongside their portraits.

Liuzhou (1791-1858). Casts of bronze ritual vases. Ink on paper. Mid-19th century. Qing Dynasty (1644-1912).

Liuzhou (1791-1858). Cheng Geng (active in the 19th century). Detail of Liuzhou examining a bronze lamp from the Han dynasty (206 BC-220 AD). Ink and colors on paper. Qing dynasty (1644-1912).

Fei Danxu (1801-1850). Detail from Reminiscence of the Orchard (Portrait of Zhang Tingli). Ink and color on paper. 1833. Qing Dynasty (1644-1912).

From 19^rd In the 19th century, rubbing was also used to preserve the memory of other objects. Liuzhou thus produced the rubbing of the zither. qin Chunlei having belonged to Wen Tiangxiang of the Song Dynasty, while Wu Putang (1922-1966) printed a bamboo wrist rest created by Liuzhou. It features a self-portrait of the traveling monk and the small hut of Lütian, a reference to the great calligrapher Huaisu, revered by Liuzhou.

Liuzhou (1791-1858). Baisui tu (Image of Centenary Longevity). Ink on paper. 1831. Qing Dynasty (1644-1912).

Cheng dun (Active between 1787 and 1794). Qin Han wadang wenzi (collection of motifs and characters on Qin and Han tile finials). Printed on paper. Qing Dynasty (1644-1912).

Tile finial decorated with a vermilion bird. Molded terracotta. Warring States period (453-222 BC).

Le Kiss you (Image of centenarian longevityLiuzhou's work is a masterpiece of the art of stamping and a unique creation. The piece comprises numerous epigraphic elements, including coins, an ink stick, ancient tiles and bricks, carved stones, inkstones, a stone seal, and nearly ninety other objects in total. Taking five years to complete, this composition presents an apparent disorder that conceals a perfect mastery of the art of stamping. This exceptional work is extensively commented on by Liuzhou and his peers in marginal notes. Symbolizing wishes for longevity, happiness, and prosperity, it would have been the perfect birthday gift for an epigraphy enthusiast.

Inscribed tile finials and bricks were also collectibles during the Qing dynasty. A page from Qin Han wadang wenzi (Collection of motifs and characters on Qin and Han tile finialsA tile by Cheng Dun (active between 1787 and 1794) depicts the Vermilion Bird, one of the four divine animals symbolizing the four cardinal directions. Nearby is a roof tile finial from the Warring States period (453-222 BC), featuring the same bird. In the same display case, an entire tile has been re-engraved with a zither motif (the quintessential instrument of the scholar) to serve as an inkwell.

Calligraphy has always been central to the interests of scholars, and under the Kangxi Emperor (1661-1722), three styles were distinguished, including the bashenfu of the Han dynasty, which gave rise to the school of stelae. Ruan Yuan wrote numerous treatises on calligraphy and emphasized the difference between the school of stelae and the school of calligraphy model books. His studies remain fundamental to understanding the evolution of Chinese calligraphy. In the 19th^rd century, the school of stelae or beixue It established itself as the heir to Han and Wei calligraphy. It was during this period that artists and calligraphers practiced reproducing inscriptions in order to absorb the styles of ancient times.

Chen Hongshu (1768-1822). Parallel sentences in chancery style. Ink on paper. Qing Dynasty (1644-1912).

Liuzhou (1791-1858). Stamping of the lid of a hu-type vase and floral painting. 1847. Ink and colors on paper. Qing Dynasty (1644-1912).

Wu Changshuo (1844-1927). Image of the height of prosperity. Ink and colors on paper. Qing Dynasty (1644-1912).

Liu Shiquan (active late 19th-early 20th century). Bapo painting (Broken Eight). 1910. Ink and colors on paper. Qing Dynasty (1644-1912).

A new use of the prints was initiated with their integration into a pictorial composition. Guzhuan huagong (Flowers offered on old bricksLiuzhou's artist combined his prints with the paintings of eleven other artists. Liuzhou also, in the full stamping of the dou of Boshan One can see the lid of a hu vase inverted to hold a floral arrangement. The actual object, displayed in an adjacent glass case, allows one to appreciate the incredible precision of the stamping. Following Liuzhou, other artists produced this type of work, notably Wu Changshuo (1844-1927). His Image of the height of prosperity It features two antique bronzes cast in full molds, with the inscriptions found inside the cauldrons reproduced between their feet. The two vessels serve as vases, one for plum branches and the other for a bouquet of peonies, both auspicious symbols. Two students of Wu Changshuo created his portrait in reference to Bodhidharma, the patriarch of Buddhism. chanWhile the drawn face is almost photographic, the red robe worn by the master and the mat on which he sits are treated in a very free manner.

At the end of the 19^rd century, the passion for antiquities gave birth to a new artistic movement, the bapo (eight broken), which is characterized by a piling up of damaged papers, paintings, prints, and various objects giving the illusion of a collage. Two scrolls by Liu Shiquan (active late 19th century)^rd s.- beginning of the 20th^rd The two works (s.) clearly illustrate this style. The upper register features two rubbings of bronze vases, below which two paintings can be seen. The middle register presents a collection of objects intertwining calligraphic inscriptions eaten away by insects, burned, or crumpled, as well as single-use items such as a tram ticket. By blending past and present, art objects and everyday items, the artist reflects the spirit of a rapidly changing China.

Yao Hua (1876-1930) is said to have given his name to the yingtaThis is a trompe-l'œil representation of a rubbing. His painting of a rubbing of a Buddhist stele allows the artist to appropriate the object and rework it according to his imagination. Another painting of a rubbing depicts an engraved Egyptian stele belonging to the great collector Duanfang (1861-1912). Sent to the West in 1905, he stopped in Cairo on his return journey and acquired antiquities. He had rubbings made of these for distribution among intellectual elites. Here, it is clear that this is a painting because the Chinese artist was unfamiliar with hieroglyphs and the composition of offering scenes, and has replaced a small table with a figure whose head is partly a royal cartouche.

Yao Hua (1876-1930). Trompe-l'œil painting of a rubbing of a Buddhist stele. Ink on paper. Qing Dynasty (1644-1912).

Edouard Chavannes (1865-1918). Pillar of the Wu Liang ci, Shandong province. 1907. Print from a gelatin-silver bromide negative on glass plate.

Huang Binhong (1865-1955). Landscape. Circa 1950. Ink on paper.

Huang Binhong (1865-1955). On Heaven, Earth and Humanity (Detail). 1954-1955. Ink on paper.

The end of the 19^rd century and the beginning of the 20^rd The 19th century saw the first European scientific expeditions to China. Édouard Chavannes (1865-1918) is considered today the founder of French sinology and was a precursor to many other travelers. He not only made records and commentaries but also took photographs and had rubbings made of the monuments that interested him. His students, Victor Segalen (1878-1919) and Jean Lartigue (1886-1940), adopted the same method, and while the monuments were photographed from several angles, rubbings complemented these photographs to record the inscriptions, which were much more legible on them.

Huang Binhong (1865-1955) was an artist who, drawing on his study of characters engraved on seals (he owned over a thousand) and a scholarly interest in epigraphy, published numerous treatises. He reproduced ancient inscriptions to absorb the essence of the writing and translate it into his painting. About Heaven, Earth, and HumanityIn this exceptionally dense work, he expresses, in the accompanying text, his conception of the arts centered on writing, where poetry is born from the sign and where calligraphy prevails over painting. He believed that epigraphic sources paved the way for the renewal of modern painting.

The exhibition thus offers a reflection on memory and cultural continuity. In China, the relationship to the past is never one of rupture, but of transformation: each generation, each dynasty, is part of the continuity of the previous ones.