Nationality
Chinese
Artist Dates
1895 - 1976
Preview
Medium
Ink on toned silk
Identification #
92-229, 92-230
Height
64" each
Width
12 1/2" each
Collection/Provenance
Chester Fritz Library, East Asian Room
Status
Stored: S8A
Location
UND Art Collections Repository
Artist Bio
Lin Yutang (1895-1976), a Chinese writer, translator and inventor, was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1940 and 1950. His best-known books included My Country and My People and The Importance of Living, as well as novels Moment in Peking and The Vermilion Gate.
Additional Information
The pair of Chinese calligraphy scrolls was a birthday preset for Chester Fritz, written and given by Lin Yutang in 1932. The text of the scrolls was the poetry of "Fisherman" by the 4th century BCE poet, Qu Yuan.
From Text Panel:
Twice nominated by Pearl Buck for a Nobel Prize, Lin Yutang was a well-known Chinese writer. in 1932, Lin executed the pair of calligraphy scrolls as a birthday present for Chester Fritz (1892-1983), who was a long-time resident in Shanghai, China.
University records from 1979 indicate that at least one of the scrolls had "cracks and damages" and later the condition of the scrolls worsened. For that reason, in 2013, UND Associate Professor Crystal Yang investigated the possibility of resorting them. Subsequently, Director of Libraries Wilbur Stolt authorized Yang to take them to a conservation institute in Shanghai, where they recently underwent professional restoration.
Condition
Good
Condition Notes
some staining
Rights
Images are provided for educational purposes only and may not be reproduced for commercial use. Images may be protected by artist copyright. A credit line is required to be used for any public non-commercial educational purpose. The credit line must include, “Image courtesy of the University of North Dakota.”