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1644-1911

Calligraphy of a Poem

The verse, composed by Zhang Ruitu, reads:

At daybreak, one rarely hears the water clock as the announcement comes from the High Palace Hall.
His Majesty has a happy expression, the close attendant always notices it.

Zhang Ruitu was a high ranking official during the Ming dynasty, and the subject of the poem on this work suggests that Zhang produced it while he was in service at court. At the height of his popularity Zhang was considered one of the Four Great Calligraphers of the late Ming dynasty.

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Calligraphy of a Poem, 1644-1911 | Philadelphia Museum of Art