Five-character Calligraphic Couplet in Running Script

RAO ZONGYI (1917-2018)
Five-character Calligraphic Couplet in Running Script
A pair of scrolls, mounted and framed, ink on paper
Each scroll measures 133.4 x 33.7 cm. (52 ¹⁄₂ x 13 ¹⁄₄ in.)
Inscribed and signed, with one seal of the artist
Dated bingchen year (1976)

Professor L. Y. Chiu (Chiu Ling Yeong, 1935-2019), originally from Chenghai, Guangdong, and born in Shanghai, was a renowned scholar of Chinese literature and history, admired both in Hong Kong and abroad. He obtained his PhD in 1968 from the Department of Oriental Studies at the University of Sydney and later taught at the University of Hong Kong, where he served as Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Head of the Department of Chinese, and as chair professor. He retired in 2001 and received the title of Professor Emeritus. Professor Chiu’s academic achievements and his influence were widely praised and recognized. Through his broad scholarly connections, he acquired many works of calligraphy and painting from esteemed artists, which provided invaluable insights into his life and social circle.

Wen Zhengming’s painting Bamboo, Tree and Rock (lot 208) from the collection will be offered in “Fine Chinese Classical Paintings and Calligraphy” auction on 27 November 2024, other paintings and calligraphy from the collection by renowned 20th-century artists, including Qi Gong, Qi Baishi, Rao Zongyi, Tai Jingnong, Qian Mu, and Ding Yanyong, will be presented in the "Fine Chinese Modern and Contemporary Ink Paintings" auction on 28 November 2024.