Wu Zhifan

CHINA; Qing dynasty

Also known as Luzhen or Donghai Daoren, Wu Zhifan was an artist originally from Jiading, Shanghai, but later moved to Tianjin. He modeled his paintings of flowers and birds on those by Xu Xi, and his style of landscape painting and portraiture was learned by studying the works of Ma Yuan and Xia Gui. Also proficient in wood carving and calligraphy, Wu’s running script was close to that of Dong Qichang, presenting a powerful charm. His bamboo carvings were mainly of flowers, birds, and portraits engraved in simplicity.
Wu was known for his carved arm rests, and his technique of thinly engraving figures on the surface of objects was most exquisite. As a result, he was considered one of the most prominent bamboo carvers, after Zhu Sansong, of the late Ming dynasty (1368–1644).
His works include Brush Holder with Budai, which was part of the collection in the Qing Imperial Palace. On the surface of one side, Wu delicately carved the portrait of Budai wearing a cross-collared robe, with undulated folds rich in texture. His bamboo carvings of Brush Holder with a scene of Bathing Horses by a Stream, Brush Holder with a Scene of Playing Chess, and others are kept at the Palace Museum in Beijing.