Minneapolis Institute of Art

Zhang Zihou's Western Inscription

Ichikawa Beian

Date

1836

Medium

Ink on paper

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

This is a rendering of a controversial text by the Chinese philosopher Zhang Zai (Zihou; 1020–1077) in which he envisions an all-encompassing, hierarchical order that links all individuals to the whole universe in a parent/child-like relationship. Ichikawa Beian executed it in a very clean and balanced style. 張子厚西銘 乾稱父坤稱母予茲藐焉乃混然中處故天地之塞，吾其體天地之帥吾其性民吾同胞吾與也大君者吾父母宗子其大臣宗子之家相也尊高年所以長其長慈孤弱，所以幼其幼聖其合德賢其秀也凡天下疲癃殘疾惸獨鰥寡皆吾兄弟之顛連而無告者也於時保之子之翼也樂且不憂純乎孝者也違曰悖德害仁曰賊濟惡者不才其踐形惟肖者也知化則善述其事窮神則善繼其志不愧屋漏為無忝存心養性為匪懈惡旨酒崇伯子之顧養育英才潁封人之錫類不弛勞而厎豫舜其功也無所逃而待烹申生其恭也體其受而歸全者參乎勇於從而順令者伯奇也富貴福澤將厚吾之生也貧賤憂慼庸玉汝於成也存吾順事沒吾寧也 Japan, Asia

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