Pan Xifeng

CHINA, Zhejiang, Shaoxing; Qing dynasty

Pan Xifeng, also known as Tonggang and Laotong, was a bamboo and seal engraver originally from Xinchang county in Shaoxing, but later resided in Guangling (present day Yangzhou). Specializing in carving bamboo, he was particularly adept in the shallow engraving techniques of the Jinling school of Nanjing. He was also known for crafting bamboo brush holders and producing pieces that appear simple and pure.
Skilled in the art of seal engraving, he often carved from bamboo. He studied under Liang Chang and Wang Shu, and befriended the artists Li Shan and Zheng Banqiao, the latter of whom regarded him as second only to Pu Zhongqian in seal engraving and praised him with a seven-character poem in Collection of Poems by Zheng Banqiao.
Pan’s most well-known Buddhist work is a white-character square seal entitled, Form is Emptiness and Emptiness is Form, which is gracefully carved and elegant.