Wu Jiong

CHINA, Anhui, Huangshan; Ming dynasty

Wu Jiong, born in Shexian, Anhui, was a seal engraver whose works emulated the renowned style of He Zhen. Dong Qichang once said, “Wu, though he is still in his twenties, shows great talent in seal engraving. If we mix his works with He Zhen’s, it is hard to tell them apart.” His works are characterized by vigorous cutting strokes and a compact structure.
Among Wu’s best known pieces is Bodhi, a rectangular seal carved in “bird-worm” script, with characters that resemble the shapes of birds and wiggling worms. His seal characters were often formed by recreating an existing composition and adding or leaving out a stroke, resulting in an unusual, unique structure. His other works include the seals Qiu Ding Zhai Yin Zhang and Zhen Shan Zhai Yin Yin.