Letter to Nancun

Wang Chong

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Wang Chong was a prodigy who died young; his death shocked the scholarly community of Suzhou, especially his mentor Wen Zhengming, who continued to mourn him many years later. Wang writes here in a relaxed semicursive script, which allowed him to lift the brush less frequently than in formal standard script. As a result, many strokes and even characters are connected with fine ligatures. In this brief letter, Wang asks the recipient, a Mr. Nancun, for help with managing a contractor who is doing construction work on his land.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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.

Metropolitan Museum of Art