Jiang Ren

CHINA, Zhejiang, Hangzhou; Qing dynasty

Born in Renhe (present day Hangzhou, Zhejiang), Jiang Ren, also known as Jiang Shantang, was a seal engraver, painter, and calligrapher. His style resembled that of Ding Jing’s, making use of simple and symmetric pattern arrangements that exhibited elegant and unique characteristics. Reputed as one of the Eight Masters of Xiling along with Huang Yi, Ding Jing, and Xi Gang, he excelled at bamboo carving and producing seals with Buddhist themes. His seal carvings were collected and published in Jiang Shantang’s Seal Collection.
Several of his seal engraving works, such as Seal of Jiang Shantang, Seal of Shen Ling, Seal of Xiang Yong, and Lotus in Fire are kept at the Shanghai Museum. His Buddhist seals include Pure Land, Samadhi, and the Prophecy of the Buddha for a Bodhisattva, which contains 664 Chinese characters from the “Chapter on Bodhisattvas” in the Vimalakirti Sutra engraved on the sides of the seal. His extant calligraphic work, Inscription for the Copy of Juran’s Painting, written in running script, is kept in Shanghai Museum.