Zhenxian shiji (Episodic Vestiges of the Perfected Transcendent)

About this object

History of use

Daoist album entitled “Zhenxian shiji” (眞僊事蹟), translated as “Episodic Vestiges of the Perfected Transcendent”. The album is on the life of Xu Xun (許遜), a Daoist priest of the Jin dynasty (265-420) and was meant to be presented to the Jiajing (嘉靖) emperor. This album may be said to offer the most vivid version of the story of Xu Xun known to survive. The signature and seal of the Suzhou painter Xie Shichen (謝時臣) (1487-1567+) appear on the initial illustration, with the date Jiajing (嘉靖) 25 (1546), but this attribution is in question. The person credited with putting the text in order (bianci 編次) is a certain Wang Gongkui (王拱樻).

Narrative

This set of album leaves (1018/1-131) was collected by Mr. Nicolai Yakovleff, c. 1930, while living in Shanghai. He collected various types of art, including ceramics, scroll paintings and rare books. He died in 1971, leaving his collection to his wife Pauline. In 1980 Pauline remarried, to Professor Jan Solecki. (Note: in 1970s documents she is referred to as Mrs. Nicolai Yakovleff; in 1980s documents she is referred to as Mrs. Jan Solecki. In an interview in 2006 Jan Solecki gave her full name as Pauline Goldstein Yakovleff Solecki.)

Physical description

Daoist album leaf. Painting depicting Xu Xun and eight ropes binding the veins. A seated figure is flanked by two groups of warriors holding swords, there are several figures pulling on chain-like ropes attached to the base of a tall object with a rounded tip set inside a rectangular base, and six figures in pairs transporting lengths of chain-like rope on sticks with the roofs of three houses in the foreground and pink and off-white clouds set against a grey sky in the background. The painting is mounted on off-white damask-patterned silk on paper.