The Double Screen: Emperor Li Jing Watching his Brothers Play Weiqi éå±å
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Accession Number
F1911.195
Tags
About this artwork
Li Jing, identified by his tall hat, watches two of his brothers play weiqi, while a third looks on. The board, raised on low feet, has a grid of nineteen-by-nineteen lines, the format introduced during the Tang period (618-907). Apparently the game has not progressed very far, since few pieces are visible on the board. The player on the left is about to place his piece, while the player on the right reaches with his right hand for a piece in his container, in anticipation of his move.
Art Historical Context
In the serene painting *The Double Screen: Emperor Jing Watching his Brothers Playqi*, formerly attributed to the 10th-century Southern Tang artist Zhou Wenju we glimpse an intimate moment of imperial leisure from China's Ming dynasty (13681644). This 14th-century copy, part of the renowned Charles Lang Freer collection housed at the Smithsonian American Art, captures Emperor Li Jing—distinguished by his tall hat—observing two brothers engrossed in a weiqi (Go) match, with a third brother looking on. The raised board features the classic 19-by-19 grid introduced during the Tang dynasty (618–90...