Harvard Art Museums > 2009.83: Squirrels and Grapevine Paintings Collections Search Exit Deep Zoom Mode Zoom Out Zoom In Reset Zoom Full Screen Add to Collection Order Image Copy Link Copy Citation Citation"Squirrels and Grapevine (Bai Haonian) , 2009.83,” Harvard Art Museums collections online, May 06, 2024, https://hvrd.art/o/332841. Reuse via IIIF Toggle Deep Zoom Mode Download This object does not yet have a description. Identification and Creation Object Number 2009.83 People Bai Haonian, Chinese (late 19th - early 20th century) Title Squirrels and Grapevine Classification Paintings Work Type hanging scroll, painting Date dated to 1906 Places Creation Place: East Asia, China Period Qing dynasty, 1644-1911 Culture Chinese Persistent Link https://hvrd.art/o/332841 Physical Descriptions Medium Hanging scroll; ink on paper; with artist's dated inscription and signature; with three seals of the artist; with one collector's seal Dimensions painting proper: 148.6 x 47.5 cm (58 1/2 x 18 11/16 in.) mounting, with suspension cord and roller ends: 210.2 x 70.5 cm (82 3/4 x 27 3/4 in.) Inscriptions and Marks seal: 1) Inscription and signature -- The artist's inscription and signature appear at the painting's center. The inscription can be translated as follows: "Cultivate and nourish your heart, honor the earth and you will be fully grown. Young roots that associate with the enlightened will in that way repent and subsequently bear marvelous fruit. Those who know this satisfaction may seek a substitute but who would know? During the first ten days of the fifth lunar month of the thirty-second year of the Guangxu reign [1906] I followed Baiyun Waishi [Yun Shouping] in painting this 'Age One Hundred' picture beneath the south window of the Dicui Mountain Lodge in Old Beiping. Bo Haonian from Changli in the Kingdom of the Qing." [Translated by Howard Rogers, Kaikodo] 2) Seals -- There are four seals on the painting, including three seals of the artist and one collector's seal, as follows: --- Rectangular, red, intaglio seal; at the beginning of the inscription, reading: "Ban Mou Mei Nan" --- Square, red, intaglio seal; following the artist's signature, reading: "Xue Ye Shu Cui Yin" --- Square, red, relief seal; immediately below the previous seal, reading: "O Shan Gu You You You" --- Square, red, relief seal; lower right corner: Unidentified collector's seal Provenance Recorded Ownership History Purchased from Kaikodo, New York, 2009 Acquisition and Rights Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Mrs. Henry James, by exchange Accession Year 2009 Object Number 2009.83 Division Asian and Mediterranean Art Contact am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu Permissions The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request. Descriptions Description Painted in ink on paper, this hanging scroll represents an upside-down, U-shaped, old grapevine with two squirrels sporting amongst the fruiting branches. The grapevine comprises four intertwined, leafy stalks that enter the composition in the lower left corner, diagonally traverse the composition, rise along the right edge, make a U-turn at the top, and then extend down the left edge. Numerous bunches of ripe grapes hang from the vines. In the upper left corner of the painting one squirrel nibbles on a grape, while another squirrel in the lower right corner looks up toward the first. Neatly framed all around by the grapevine, the artist's inscription and signature appear at the very center of the composition. Verification Level This record was created from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator; it may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
