Scroll of Countless Beautiful Mountains - Colophon
Think of this as the ancient equivalent of a comment section on a viral post! This image shows the colophon (inscriptions) attached to the end of a scroll attributed to the Song dynasty master Mi Youren. In Chinese tradition, later scholars and collectors would write their thoughts directly onto the artwork, turning it into a historical guestbook. Here, the writer uses wild, expressive cursive script to describe being so captivated by the misty, dragon-like clouds in the painting that they 'forgot to return home for a month.' The red seals stamped all over are collector chops, acting like a chain of custody proving this masterpiece has been cherished for centuries.
- Technique
- Ink on paper
- Material
- Paper