元?　佚名　草書蘇軾詩　團扇|Calligraphy: Poem

Art Historical Context

This exquisite album leaf preserves a poem by the renowned Song dynasty scholar-official Su Shi (1037–1101), rendered in fluid cursive script on silk. Created during China’s Yuan dynasty (1271–1368), the work was originally painted on a round fan (anshan), a popular for personal and courtly gifts. The unidentifiedigrapher’s bold abbreviated strokes capture the energy of the caoshu style, transforming the compact fan surface into a dynamic field of movement and rhythm. Although the artist remains unknown, the piece reflects the Yuan period’s deep reverence for earlier literary giants like Su Shi, whose poetry often blended personal reflection with social commentary. Mounting such delicate fan calligraphy as an album leaf allowed later collectors to preserve and study it alongside other masterpieces. The ink-on-silk technique further highlights the artist’s control of varying line weights, inviting viewers to appreciate both the poetic content and the expressive power of brushwork. Acquired by the Metropolitan Museum from the renowned collector A. W. Bahr in 1947, this intimate work offers a rare glimpse into the refined taste of Yuan literati culture.