Crab, Reeds and Rose Mallows
Artist
Wang Wu
Chinese, 1632 - 1690
Date1673
DynastyQing dynasty (1644-1911)
MaterialsInk and colors on glold-flecked paper
DimensionsH. 7 1/8 in x W. 20 7/8 in, H. 18.1 cm x W. 53.1 cm (image); H. 13 in x W. 24 1/4 in, H. 33 cm x W. 61.6 cm (overall)
Credit LineGift of Mr. and Mrs. Brayton Wilbur, Jr.
Object numberB79D28
DepartmentChinese Art
ClassificationsPainting
On View
Not on viewMarkingsseal of Wang Wu; Wang an
Text EntriesA pleasing subject to viewers, this charming scene features auspicious symbols associated with the autumn season—pink hibiscus, brown bamboo, and black crab. Hibiscus and bamboo refer to great luck and fortune (daji dali) and the crab suggests abundant wealth. The seasonal setting of the painting is also suggested by the inscription:
Playing with ink on a rainy day in the late autumn of the
kuichou year (1673),
—Wang Wu from Zhenze.
Kanō Naonobu
