Hsu Wei: Pomegranates
Hsu Wei (1521-1593) was a native of Shan-yin, Chekiang province. His style names were first Wen-ch'ing and later Wen-chang. His sobriquets were T'ien-ch'ih and Ch'ing-t'eng. He excelled in poetry and classical prose, and gifted in the semi-cursive script after the style of Mi Fei. He studied flowering plant painting for the first time in his middle years, and became a precursor of the flowering plant and miscellaneous painting of the Ch'ing dynasty with his entirely unrestrained manner that abandoned tradition. This work is unsurpassed in its spontaneous rendition of drooping branches and the pomegranates indicating the adroit use of the p'o-mo (so-called "splashed ink") technique, as well as the self-inscribed title poetry.

P35 Hsu Wei: Pomegranates Ming dynasty hanging scroll/ink on paper artwork : 91.4 x 26.5cm hanging scroll : 186.0 x 41.6cm 45,000yen