Divination

22024201 — China ca. 20th century. A hanging scroll very good 34 x 95 cm. image 32.5 x 21.5 cm. mounted on buff silk small mend on lower part of silk image not affected else solid 3 cinnabar chops/seal. OBSCURE AND RARE WORK The work shows two faces: one female right one male left and are both woodblock printed on two joined sheets then the whole is mounted on an attractive hanging scroll with silk additions. This exact work was used to illustrated item 110 p. 127-8 in Ecke's work: CHINESE FOLK ART II: see below for bibliographic citation. We now quote and summarize what she stated about this work: "The woman's face is divided in half vertically by thirteen horizontally placed sections of Chinese characters which vary in the number of individual characters they contain. The characters are terms of physiognomy and a reading of the history of the woman's life past present and future can be taken from the sections. The characters on the man's face also denote a reading. Around the center of his face between the eyes & above the bridge of the nose are twelve sections which encircled the words. The physiognomic terms for this man are numbered. From the placement of the characters on his face one can read about the people in his life including his relatives and about his own health and fortune. Below the facial diagrams are definitions of the terms." PROVENANCE: The work was acquired directly from Prof. Richard C. Rudolph 1909-2003 the late great author professor and scholar of Chinese studies at the University of California Los Angeles. His cinnabar chop is found in the lower center. As per Ecke this work was mounted as a hanging scroll or Kakejiku in the Japanese style. It has delicate pale yellow silk brocade mounting with a beige silk above that. It is likely that Prof. Rudolph collected these silks in China during his 1948-49 collecting trip. Google him for copious details. ABOUT THE SEALS OR CHOPS: This copy was loaned to Ecke for her book and used in the exhibition at LACMA see below for more details. Our copy is the actual one exhibited in the book Prof. Rudolph affixed his seals to it prior to sale as was his habit. THE SCROLL & MOUNTING: As per Ecke this work was mounted as a hanging scroll or Kakejiku in the Japanese style it is 34 cm. wide 95 cm. long in all. The actual image is 31.5 x 32 cm. and consists of actually two images joined together. The mounting silk is a pale yellow brocade with beige silk above that a very clean nice mounting. It is likely that Prof. Rudolph collected these silks in China during his 1948-49 book buying trip. Google him for copious details. For a more in-depth discussion of this Chinese medical practice see Lessa below who illustrates a similar male face on p.51 fig. #5 and throughout several very similar examples. He explains the thirteen parts in much detail. The whole of chapter 4 is on the face and head he also offers much valuable insight to the significance of reading the face and its associated meanings. The Chinese have reduced the reading of facial attributes to a medical science per Lessa: "No people have exceeded the Chinese in their efforts to determine character and destiny by the very scrutiny of the body itself. In China the documentation is ancient and begins at the time before that of Confucius 220 B.C." He also discusses the "Six Treasuries Three Forces and Three Sections;" also the "Five Planets Six Stars Five Mountains and Four Rivers;" the "Twelve Temples and Five Senses;" in facial line reading. The "Thirteen Parts" resembles our example in that half of the face is covered with explanatory text covering these "parts." All were extracted from Ku China 1728. He further details on pp.54-55 the meanings of lines on the face marks and significance. Moles ear eye nose eye brow and forehead also has their various readings. This text supports the information found on this set of prints we now offer. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Tseng Yu-ho Ecke: CHINESE FOLK ART I see #58 p.90 91 which again cites and illustrates this exact work. Tseng Yu-ho Ecke: CHINESE FOLK ART II: page 127 illustrates this exact item offered see our scan for a copy of this article and example her # 110. Another identical example is found illustrated & described in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art Member's Calendar July 1977 vol.14 no.7. This example is again the one used in the Ecke book loaned to her by Prof. Rudolph ergo this item offered. William A. Lessa: CHINESE BODY DIVINIATION: Its Forms Affinities and Functions. This resource is valuable as it illustrates and discusses in much detail this sort of print and its significance. See chapter 4 pp.41-88 and figures plates 1-17. A very fascinating item and unusual subject seldom found on the market. The current example is an obscure 20th century reprint of the Sung Dynasty original. Suitable for library display. . unknown