Elegance, Playfulness, and Refinement | Experience the Graceful Life of Ancient Literati

There is an exhibition about the Four Treasures of the Study at the Beijing Art Museum: 'The Fragrance of Inkstone Flowers - Exhibition of Elegant Scholar's Objects from the Ming and Qing Dynasties', which selects more than 200 pieces of elegant scholar's objects from the museum's collection from the Ming and Qing periods. It displays the beauty of their materials, craftsmanship, and decoration from different perspectives, taking you to taste the graceful life of ancient literati and the tranquil and elegant artistic interest, to appreciate the ancient traditional skills and the spirit of craftsmanship, and to perceive the long-standing and profound nature of the excellent traditional Chinese culture. In addition to the well-known brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, the exhibition also includes auxiliary stationery and furnishings for the study. They either imitate ancient objects or draw inspiration from nature, filled with 'elegance' and 'interest', with the literati's inner landscape and springs, as well as their feelings for their home and country, all hidden within. The brush, ink, paper, and inkstone are the traditional writing tools of ancient China, known as the 'Four Friends of the Study' or the 'Four Treasures of the Study'. After the Song and Yuan dynasties, the 'Four Treasures' became most famous for Huzhou brushes, Hui ink, Xuan paper, and Duan inkstones. During the Ming and Qing periods, the production of the Four Treasures of the Study reached its peak, forming their own cultural systems and styles of the times. The brush, ink, paper, and inkstone not only have practical value but also become works of art that integrate painting, calligraphy, carving, and decoration. A stone inkstone, a box of black ink, a piece of Xuan paper, and a brush write out the literati's distant emotions and spiritual charm, becoming a way for them to express their feelings and metaphor their careers. It can be said that 'with exquisite brush and inkstone, life is a joy'. 🎫Ticket: 20 yuan, you need to follow the Beijing Art Museum on WeChat, make an appointment in advance, and there are 200 free spots available every Wednesday 🚗Transportation: Take bus 300, 368, or Subway Line 16, etc., to get there