明 王鏊 行書致管方伯書 冊頁|Letter

Wang Ao

late 15th or early 16th century

明 王鏊 行書致管方伯書 冊頁|Letter by Wang Ao

Medium

Album leaf; ink on patterned paper

Dimensions

9 1/2 x 11 1/2 in. (24.1 x 29.2 cm)

Classification

Calligraphy

Culture & Period

China · Ming dynasty (1368–1644)

Department

Asian Art

Museum

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

Credit

Bequest of John M. Crawford Jr., 1988

Accession Number

1989.363.50

Art Historical Context

This elegant album leaf from the Ming dynasty features a letter written in running script (xingshu) by Wang Ao (1450–1524), a prominent scholar-official, poet, and calligrapher. Created in the late 15th or early 16th century, the work captures the refined personal correspondence typical of China’s educated elite during this period. Wang Ao’s fluid brushstrokes convey both warmth and authority, reflecting the Ming emphasis on calligraphy as an expressive art form that revealed the writer’s character and learning. Executed in ink on delicately patterned paper, the album leaf format allowed such...

    Send Feedback

    We use this only to reply to your feedback.