Bidspirit auction | Hanging Scroll Mounted Fan Calligraphy

Hanging Scroll Mounted Fan Calligraphy with Qianlong Imperial Poem on Sprinkled-Gold Paper ,by Ji Yun - Ji Yun (1724–1805), courtesy name Xiaolan and Chunfan, later art names Shiyun and Guanyi Daoren, was a native of Xian County, Zhili (present-day Cangzhou, Hebei). A renowned scholar, writer, and high official of the Qianlong and Jiaqing periods of the Qing Dynasty, he rose to become Minister of Rites and Associate Grand Secretary. He is best known as the chief editor of the Siku Quanshu (Complete Library of the Four Treasuries), and was honored as “A Literary Patriarch of His Time” (一代文宗). Ji Yun’s outstanding achievements lie primarily in academic compilation and literary creation. Under his direction, the Siku Quanshu—the largest collection of books in ancient China—was completed, representing an monumental effort to preserve and systematize classical texts. His biji (笔记, notebook) fiction Yuewei Caotang Biji (Notes from the Thatched Abode of Close Observations) is written in a simple yet profound style, using tales of spirits and ghosts to satirize society and expound Confucian principles. Often compared—yet contrasted in purpose—with Pu Songling’s Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, it became a model of Qing dynasty biji literature. His poetry and prose, marked by wit and wisdom, were collected in Posthumous Works of Lord Ji Wenda. Although not primarily known as a calligrapher, his brushwork was elegant, refined, and scholarly, particularly in running and regular scripts. As a representative scholar of the Qian-Jia School, his intellectual vision, cultural leadership, and literary accomplishments profoundly influenced the academic and philosophical development of the mid-Qing and later periods.