Biographies of Lian Po and Lin Xiangru

Biographies of Lian Po and Lin Xiangru

Huang Tingjian

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Poet, calligrapher, and Chan (Zen) Buddhist adept, Huang Tingjian believed that calligraphy should be spontaneous and self-expressive—“a picture of the mind.” Containing nearly twelve hundred characters, this handscroll is a master­piece of cursive-script writing. It transcribes an account of a rivalry between two officials: Lian Po, a distinguished general; and Lin Xiangru, a skilled strategist. Huang’s transcription ends abruptly with Lin’s words: “When two tigers fight, one must perish. I behave as I do because I put our country’s fate before private feuds.” Read in the context of Song political infighting, Huang’s transcription becomes a powerful indictment of the partisanship that led to his own banishment in 1094.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Biographies of Lian Po and Lin XiangruBiographies of Lian Po and Lin XiangruBiographies of Lian Po and Lin XiangruBiographies of Lian Po and Lin XiangruBiographies of Lian Po and Lin Xiangru

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.