{"id":11472,"date":"2026-11-08T02:48:39","date_gmt":"2026-11-08T02:48:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.chinaculturepro.com\/?p=11472"},"modified":"2026-11-12T14:16:07","modified_gmt":"2026-11-12T14:16:07","slug":"pomegranate-by-xu-wei","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chinaculturepro.com\/id\/pomegranate-by-xu-wei\/","title":{"rendered":"Pomegranate by Xu Wei: Ink, Brushwork and Poem Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Quick Answer: What Is Pomegranate by Xu Wei?<\/h2>\n

Pomegranate (\u69b4\u5be6\u5716, Li\u00fash\u00ed T\u00fa) by Xu Wei (\u5f90\u6e2d, X\u00fa W\u00e8i) is a Ming-dynasty hanging scroll in the National Palace Museum, Taipei. Painted in ink on paper, it measures 91.4 \u00d7 26.6 cm. A fruiting branch and a four-line cursive inscription share its unusually narrow surface. The picture is an expressive study of fruit, brushwork and the poem\u2019s image of uncollected seeds scattering like pearls.[1]<\/sup> <\/p><\/section>\n

\"Pomegranate
Pomegranate by Xu Wei viewing guide to ink branch fruit and poem<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A heavy fruit hangs from a branch that seems almost too spare to support it. Dark ink gathers around the split rind, while the twig continues downward through scattered leaves. Above it, a poem makes the exposed seeds part of a small drama of ripeness, solitude and loss.<\/p>\n\n

The Taipei Hanging Scroll at a Glance<\/h2>\n
\n\n\n\n
Field<\/th>Identification<\/th><\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Artist<\/td>Xu Wei<\/td><\/tr>\n
Period<\/td>Ming dynasty; exact year not specified<\/td><\/tr>\n
Format<\/td>Hanging scroll<\/td><\/tr>\n
Medium<\/td>Ink on paper<\/td><\/tr>\n
Painting dimensions<\/td>91.4 cm high \u00d7 26.6 cm wide<\/td><\/tr>\n
Collection<\/td>National Palace Museum, Taipei<\/td><\/tr>\n
Collection number<\/td>\u6545\u756b000566<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

The dimensions describe the original painting. A published reproduction may be slightly different in size: the university collection record for a Nigensha reproduction lists its image as 92 \u00d7 27 cm.[2]<\/sup> This small discrepancy should not be mistaken for evidence of another original. For the artist\u2019s wider range of subjects and writing, see Xu Wei\u2019s work and artistic legacy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A Split Fruit Anchors the Long Descending Branch<\/h2>\n

The fruit sits below the middle of the sheet, to the left of its supporting branch. A pointed crown gives its upper-left edge a recognizable shape. Beside it, a broken opening exposes a cluster of small rounded marks. Even before reading the poem, you can connect the dark mass with the familiar structure of a ripe pomegranate.<\/p>\n

The branch follows a different rhythm. Near the right side, a few forceful upright strokes establish its upper section. It then bends toward the fruit and continues down and left through thinner, more scattered marks. The change from heavy fruit to fragile twig makes the lower half feel suspended rather than firmly grounded.<\/p>\n

Leaves interrupt that descent without filling the surface. Some are dark and broad; others are pale, narrow or almost reduced to a flick of the brush. Large intervals of unpainted paper remain around them. Those gaps let you follow individual changes of direction instead of seeing the branch as a dense, continuous canopy.<\/p>\n

Wet Ink Gives the Pomegranate Its Weight<\/h2>\n

The painting uses xieyi (\u5beb\u610f, xi\u011by\u00ec), an expressive approach often described as \u201csketching ideas.\u201d Its energetic brushwork and watery ink are central to the work\u2019s character.[1]<\/sup> For a broader comparison of expressive and finely delineated approaches, see gongbi and xieyi painting<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Look closely at the fruit\u2019s surface. Soft transitions within the dark wash give it volume, while sharper edges and smaller marks distinguish the opening and seeds. The ink does more than replace red skin with black: its different densities separate solid rind, interior detail and surrounding leaves.<\/p>\n

The branch also preserves changes in the brush\u2019s movement. A thicker passage can narrow suddenly into a wiry line; a leaf may begin dark and fade as it turns. These variations make the act of painting part of the subject. You recognize both a plant and the marks that bring it into view.<\/p>\n

The Four-Line Poem Turns Seeds into Pearls<\/h2>\n

The inscription\u2019s four five-character lines describe a ripe pomegranate in a remote mountain setting. Here is a plain English sense of each line, translated from the original text:[1]<\/sup> <\/p>\n