Pomegranate by Xu Wei: Ink, Brushwork and Poem Guide

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.

The Taipei Hanging Scroll at a Glance

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 × 27 cm.^[2] This small discrepancy should not be mistaken for evidence of another original. For the artist’s wider range of subjects and writing, see Xu Wei’s work and artistic legacy.

A Split Fruit Anchors the Long Descending Branch

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.

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.

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.

Wet Ink Gives the Pomegranate Its Weight

The painting uses xieyi (寫意, xiěyì), an expressive approach often described as “sketching ideas.” Its energetic brushwork and watery ink are central to the work’s character.^[1] For a broader comparison of expressive and finely delineated approaches, see gongbi and xieyi painting.

Look closely at the fruit’s 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.

The branch also preserves changes in the brush’s 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.

The Four-Line Poem Turns Seeds into Pearls

The inscription’s 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]

• 山深熟石榴: Deep in the mountains, pomegranates ripen.
• 向日笑開口: Facing the sun, they open their mouths in a smile.
• 深山少人收: Few people gather them in the deep mountains.
• 顆顆明珠走: Bright pearls scatter, one by one.

The first half gives the fruit a lively human expression. Its split becomes a smile directed toward sunlight. The second half changes the mood: ripeness has arrived, but there are few people to collect it. Seeds become precious “pearls” that escape rather than a harvest brought safely home.

That turn makes the exposed seeds more affecting. The fruit appears abundant, yet its abundance is vulnerable to dispersal. A reading of overlooked value follows naturally from the words, although the poem alone does not identify a particular episode in the artist’s life.

The cursive writing also contributes visually. Its long, connected movements occupy the upper right, continuing the downward energy of the plant without simply illustrating its outline. Chinese calligraphy and painting explains their shared use of brush movement.

A Fruit with Auspicious Associations Has a More Solitary Mood

In Chinese decorative art, the pomegranate’s many seeds can express a wish for numerous offspring, historically often sons. The association draws on the word connecting seeds and children.^[3] More examples appear in pomegranate symbolism in Chinese culture.

That familiar meaning supplies a useful comparison, but this picture’s poem directs attention elsewhere. It emphasizes a remote place, few gatherers and departing pearls. The fruit’s abundance remains visible; the inscription makes you consider what happens when that abundance goes uncollected. Reading the words prevents a general auspicious association from becoming the painting’s only meaning.

How to Look from the Branch to the Inscription

1. Locate the split fruit: Separate the crown, rind and exposed seeds.
2. Trace the branch: Follow its thick upper strokes into the thin descending twig.
3. Compare the ink: Notice soft washes, dark accents and fading leaf strokes.
4. Read the poem’s turn: Move from the fruit’s smiling ripeness to its uncollected pearls.

FAQs About Pomegranate by Xu Wei

Why is the fruit black rather than red?

This is an ink painting. Differences in tone, edge and brush movement describe the fruit and leaves without depending on their natural colors.

Does the painting illustrate a wish for many children?

That is a broader association of pomegranates in Chinese art. This work’s own poem gives a more specific emphasis to ripeness, solitude and seeds that scatter without being gathered.

Is this the same as Xu Wei’s pomegranate album leaf?

No. The same museum holds a separate ink pomegranate leaf measuring 37.7 × 25 cm, with a different inscription. This guide concerns the tall 91.4 × 26.6 cm hanging scroll.^[4]

出典

[1] National Palace Museum, Taipei. Pomegranate: Collection Record and Inscription

[2] Hong Kong Baptist University Library. Pomegranate: Nigensha Art Reproduction Record

[3] Metropolitan Museum of Art. Pomegranates: Chinese Seed and Offspring Symbolism

[4] National Palace Museum, Taipei. Sketches From Life: Ink Pomegranate in Vertical Format