明 郭詡 稱書圖 軸|Weighing Books
early 16th century
Medium
Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk
Dimensions
Image: 48 3/8 x 28 in. (122.9 x 71.1 cm) Overall with mounting: 103 x 34 1/8 in. (261.6 x 86.7 cm) Overall with knobs: 103 x 38 3/8 in. (261.6 x 97.5 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Culture & Period
China · Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Friends of Asian Art, Purchase, The B. Y. Lam Foundation Gift, 1997
Accession Number
1997.166
Tags
Art Historical Context
**Weighing Books (稱書圖 軸)**, a captivating hanging scroll by the Ming dynasty artist Guo Xu from the early 16th, invites viewers into a scholarly world rendered in delicate ink and color on silk. Measuring nearly four feet tall, this work exemplifies the grandeur of Chinese hanging scrolls, unrolled for intimate appreciation during gatherings of literati elites. Guo Xu, a skilled painter from Suzhou, blended professional finesse with the refined aesthetic of wenrenhua (literati), emphasizing elegance and intellectual depth over mere realism. The composition humorously depicts men gathered arou...