Images(6)

Epitaph for Yu Dezhang

Artist Yang Weizhen (Chinese, 1296 - 1370)

Date1296-1370

DynastyYuan dynasty (1271-1368)

MaterialsInk on paper

DimensionsH. 10 in x W. 55 3/4 in, H. 25.4 cm x W. 141.6 cm (image)

Credit LineGift of the Tang Family In memory of P.Y. and Kinmay Wen Tang

Object number1992.63

DepartmentChinese Art

ClassificationsPainting

On View

Not on view

SignedArtist signature: 題爾處士虞君墳。 Seal:〝霜華山人〞朱文方印；〝李黼榜第二甲進士〞朱文方印；〝楊廉夫〞白文方印；〝抱遺老人〞白文方印。

Inscribed有元進士奉議大夫翰林院直學士致仕會稽楊維禎撰幷書篆蓋芝庭處士虞君墓碣銘君諱德章字子文，芝庭其燕居自命也。世家常熟之芝川。生元大德辛丒三月十日，歿至正乙未十一月二日。明年葬虞山西麓小澗之原，去之十有四年，而孤子宗海思其親者曾弗置，自謂先子生不服官政，姓名不得掛國史，死又不得名文筆銘，不孝孤罪曷貸？今幸季父從吾子遊，已得文表曾大父，大父阡併，敢徼餘惠於先子，贖不孝孤罪。辭不獲，按銭沐所述狀。君裔出虞仲氏，戰國時為趙上卿（句）卿，漢為都亭侯。放唐，文懿公世南始為雍人，後若干世，從僖宗入蜀，又為蜀人。八傳為宋太師雍國公允文，雍國七葉集仕元奎章閣，南歸至吳，訪虞山譜，而君在叔侄行。君曾大父世修，宋將仕郎，生震龍。震龍生安邦，安邦生君，俱隱德不仕。君為人樸厚有古長者德，孝友出天性，鄉黨称無瑕寳云。人有一善，取之若己有，不善者掩之，惡而能悔，必拔而收之，故其里若老稚女婦，無不向化，困厄已歸，弗計貴賤、親疏，生為之養，死葬焉。喪者施槥，疾病妊娩者給藥餌、（膳）粟，汲汲如不及；與人交久而敬，告急於門者未嘗以在忙為解。享年五十有五而歿，人無不呼天曰：善人逝矣，而不使遐年，吾儕曷恃？葬之日送車數百輛。幼嘗從吳門克齋先生學，工五字詩及長短句，有芝庭小稿藏於家。君娶陸氏，子男四人，長宗海，娶同郡殷，將仕，孫女；次宗祐，娶寳慶路總管楊公孫女;次宗道，娉湖州路推官逯公女;次宗益；女二人，長宗順，適陸天麟；次宗善，適陸鑄；孫男二，克讓、鎮；孫女二，素柔、素璚，皆在幼。銘曰：繄周讓王虞有昆，孰云投荊嗣罔聞？太師雍公派西分，奎章訪譜東芝村，處士古質質而文；年若不永永者存，四葉宗子子復孫，一芝秀庭百世芬，我過虞山訪耳（音仍）雲，

More Information

Calligraphy served many purposes in Chinese elite culture; to name a few of them, it was used for artistic expression, moral and philosophical statements, personal letters and other correspondence, complements to poetry, inscriptions on paintings, and epitaphs and memorials. Different types of script were considered appropriate for different purposes; formal scripts were expected for epitaphs.

This long handscroll memorializes the life and lineage of an otherwise relatively unknown recluse and scholar named Zhiting (1301-1355). The calligrapher, Yang Weizhen, a minor official in the Yuan government, was famous for his cursive calligraphy. For this epitaph he employed a formal script. While the characters flow together and there is considerable spontaneity in the brushwork, the characters are still legible and regular in size. Noted calligraphers like Yang often supplemented their incomes during difficult times by writing such epitaphs.