Treasure Canons · TC3

Treasures of Ink

Master calligraphy, painting and rubbings: the literary spirit that brush and ink left for a thousand years

244treasures

12dynasties

27institutions

This canon gathers treasures whose soul is writing and the brush: original calligraphy across the dynasties, literati painting, rubbings of famous steles and surviving manuscripts of poetry and prose. They are works of art and also the original carriers of thought and literature.

Representative treasures

244 treasures
Early Western Zhou · Bronze Food VesselsLi GuiThe bronze that dates the Zhou conquest of ShangNational Museum of ChinaTE10001Late Western Zhou · Bronze Food VesselsDa Ke DingA Western Zhou giant guarded by the Pan familyShanghai MuseumTE10003Early Western Zhou · Bronze Food VesselsDa Yu DingA royal charge of the early Zhou, cast in bronzeNational Museum of ChinaTE10004Late Western Zhou · Bronze Food VesselsMao Gong DingKing Xuan's long charge to the Duke of MaoNational Palace MuseumTE10005Early Western Zhou · Bronze Wine VesselsHe ZunWhere the word Zhongguo first appears in writingBaoji Bronze Ware MuseumTE10006Middle Western Zhou · Bronze Water VesselsShi Qiang PanA Zhou court scribe's history of his dynastyBaoji Bronze Ware MuseumTE10010Late Western Zhou · Bronze Water VesselsGuo Ji Zi Bai PanA battle report in rhyming four-character verseNational Museum of ChinaTE10011Tang dynasty · Calligraphy OriginalsFeng Chengsu's Copy of the Orchid Pavilion PrefaceThe closest likeness of Wang Xizhi's lost masterpiecePalace MuseumTE10025Northern Song dynasty · Calligraphy OriginalsSu Shi, Cold Food ObservanceCalligraphy born of exile, ranked third under heavenNational Palace MuseumTE10026Eastern Jin dynasty · Calligraphy OriginalsWang Xizhi, Timely Clearing after SnowfallA brief letter written as the snow clearedNational Palace MuseumTE10027Tang dynasty · Calligraphy OriginalsYan Zhenqing, Draft Requiem for My NephewGrief and fury among the crossings-outNational Palace MuseumTE10028Warring States period · Steles & RubbingsStone DrumsQin poems carved on ten great stonesPalace MuseumTE10029

Bronze, Gold & Silver

14 treasures
Early Western Zhou · Bronze Food VesselsLi GuiThe bronze that dates the Zhou conquest of ShangNational Museum of ChinaTE10001Late Western Zhou · Bronze Food VesselsDa Ke DingA Western Zhou giant guarded by the Pan familyShanghai MuseumTE10003Early Western Zhou · Bronze Food VesselsDa Yu DingA royal charge of the early Zhou, cast in bronzeNational Museum of ChinaTE10004Late Western Zhou · Bronze Food VesselsMao Gong DingKing Xuan's long charge to the Duke of MaoNational Palace MuseumTE10005Early Western Zhou · Bronze Wine VesselsHe ZunWhere the word Zhongguo first appears in writingBaoji Bronze Ware MuseumTE10006Middle Western Zhou · Bronze Water VesselsShi Qiang PanA Zhou court scribe's history of his dynastyBaoji Bronze Ware MuseumTE10010Late Western Zhou · Bronze Water VesselsGuo Ji Zi Bai PanA battle report in rhyming four-character verseNational Museum of ChinaTE10011Late Western Zhou · Bronze Food VesselsHu GuiA bronze cast by a Zhou king for himselfBaoji Bronze Ware MuseumTE10064Warring States period · Bronze Food VesselsIron-legged Bronze Ding of the King of ZhongshanZhongshan's iron-legged ding of royal counselHebei MuseumTE10065Early Western Zhou · Bronze Food VesselsTianwang GuiA bronze that records a great early Zhou riteNational Museum of ChinaTE10070Late Western Zhou · Bronze Wine VesselsSong HuA full record of a Zhou investitureNational Palace MuseumTE10086Late Western Zhou · Bronze Water VesselsSan Shi PanA land treaty cast in bronzeNational Palace MuseumTE100892 more · open Bronze, Gold & Silver

Calligraphy, Painting & Rubbings

171 treasures
Tang dynasty · Calligraphy OriginalsFeng Chengsu's Copy of the Orchid Pavilion PrefaceThe closest likeness of Wang Xizhi's lost masterpiecePalace MuseumTE10025Northern Song dynasty · Calligraphy OriginalsSu Shi, Cold Food ObservanceCalligraphy born of exile, ranked third under heavenNational Palace MuseumTE10026Eastern Jin dynasty · Calligraphy OriginalsWang Xizhi, Timely Clearing after SnowfallA brief letter written as the snow clearedNational Palace MuseumTE10027Tang dynasty · Calligraphy OriginalsYan Zhenqing, Draft Requiem for My NephewGrief and fury among the crossings-outNational Palace MuseumTE10028Warring States period · Steles & RubbingsStone DrumsQin poems carved on ten great stonesPalace MuseumTE10029Southern and Northern Dynasties to Tang, 5th-8th century · Figure PaintingAdmonitions of the Instructress to the Court LadiesAn ancient scroll on the conduct of court ladiesBritish MuseumTE10030Yuan dynasty · Landscape PaintingHuang Gongwang, Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains (Master Wuyong Scroll)A landscape split in two by fire, its halves now on either side of the straitNational Palace MuseumTE10033Tang dynasty · Birds, Flowers & AnimalsHan Huang, Five OxenA Tang masterpiece bought back from Hong KongPalace MuseumTE10038Tang dynasty · Calligraphy OriginalsAscending the Yang TerraceThe one piece of writing in Li Bai's own handPalace MuseumTE10205Eastern Jin dynasty · Calligraphy OriginalsMid-Autumn LetterThe Mid-Autumn Letter of the Three RaritiesPalace MuseumTE10206Yuan dynasty · Calligraphy OriginalsMiscellaneous Calligraphy by Yuan MastersSix Yuan writers in one scrollNational Palace MuseumTE10207Yuan dynasty · Calligraphy OriginalsZhang Yu, Poem in Seven-character Regulated VerseVerse and brushwork by the Daoist Zhang YuNational Palace MuseumTE10208159 more · open Calligraphy, Painting & Rubbings

Books & Documents

56 treasures
Mid Warring States period · Bamboo Slips & Silk TextsGuodian Chu SlipsThe Laozi as it was read over two thousand years agoJingmen MuseumTE10042Early Western Han dynasty · Bamboo Slips & Silk TextsMawangdui Silk TextsA library on silk from a Han tombHunan MuseumTE10043Ming dynasty, Jiajing reign (copied 1562-1567) · ManuscriptsYongle Encyclopedia, Jiajing Copy Volumes in the National Library of ChinaSurviving volumes of the greatest Chinese encyclopediaNational Library of ChinaTE10044Qing dynasty · ManuscriptsSiku Quanshu, Wenyuan Pavilion CopyThe imperial library of the Forbidden City's Wenyuan PavilionNational Palace MuseumTE10045Tang dynasty · Calligraphy OriginalsXu Hao, Patent of Office for Zhu JuchuanA Tang official's letter of appointmentNational Palace MuseumTE10213Tang dynasty, dated 648 · Calligraphy OriginalsGuo Quan, Sudassana VinayaA complete Tang sutra copy of 648Palace MuseumTE10216Southern Song dynasty, 1137 · Calligraphy OriginalsEmperor Gaozong of Song, Edict to Yue FeiAn emperor's own letter to Yue FeiNational Palace MuseumTE10231Late Shang dynasty · Oracle BonesInscribed Ox AstragalusA Shang record on a tiny ankle boneInstitute of History and Philology, Academia SinicaTE10508Warring States period · Bamboo Slips & Silk TextsShanghai Museum Warring States Chu Bamboo ManuscriptsChu books rescued from the antiques marketShanghai MuseumTE10512Mid Warring States period · Bamboo Slips & Silk TextsTsinghua Bamboo SlipsLost Warring States books brought back to lightTsinghua University Research and Conservation Center for Excavated TextsTE10518Text 8th-12th century; extant manuscripts and prints later · ManuscriptsThe Four Treatises of Tibetan MedicineThe root text of Tibetan medicineTibetan Traditional Hospital (Mentsikhang)TE10522Sixteen Kingdoms to early Northern Song · ManuscriptsPelliot Collection of Dunhuang ManuscriptsThe Library Cave's most carefully chosen scrollsBibliothèque nationale de FranceTE1052344 more · open Books & Documents

Implements & Instruments

4 treasures
Text 8th-12th century; extant manuscripts and prints later · ManuscriptsThe Four Treatises of Tibetan MedicineThe root text of Tibetan medicineTibetan Traditional Hospital (Mentsikhang)TE10522Tang dynasty · Musical InstrumentsJiuxiao Huanpei QinA qin that rings like jade in the high heavensPalace MuseumTE10679Tang dynasty, 756 · Musical InstrumentsDasheng Yiyin QinThe sound the sages left behindPalace MuseumTE10680Tang, 2nd year of Jingyun (711) · Musical InstrumentsJingyun BellEmperor Ruizong's six-ton bellXi'an Beilin MuseumTE10683

Types by dynasty

Where this canon's treasures fall by type and dynasty; click an ink dot to open that dynasty at that type.

Treasures of Ink · Types by dynasty
ShangZhouHanJinNorthern and SouthernSuiTangTen KingdomsSongYuanMingQing
Bronze, Gold & Silver14
Jade, Stone & Seals1
Ceramics & Glass1
Calligraphy, Painting & Rubbings171
Books & Documents56
Textiles & Costume2
Sculpture & Statuary2
Implements & Instruments4
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