明 佚名 胡笳十八拍圖 卷|Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute: The Story of Lady Wenji
early 15th century
Medium
Handscroll; ink, color, and gold on silk
Dimensions
Image: 11 1/4 in. × 39 ft. 3 in. (28.6 × 1196.3 cm) Overall with mounting: 11 1/2 in. × 50 ft. 8 1/16 in. (29.2 × 1544.5 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Culture & Period
China · Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Ex coll.: C. C. Wang Family, Gift of The Dillon Fund, 1973
Accession Number
1973.120.3
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite Ming dynasty handscroll, titled *Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute: The of Lady Wenji*, the poignant legend of Cai Wenji, a scholar's daughter captured by nomadic Xiongnu tribes during the Han dynasty. Created by an unidentified artist in the early 15th, it unfolds her dramatic tale—abduction, life among tents and horsemen, motherhood, and eventual ransom back to China—across a staggering 39 feet of silk painted with ink, vibrant colors, and gold flecks. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Asian Art department, this work exemplifies the narrative tradition of Chinese painti...