Qian Song

CHINA, Zhejiang, Hangzhou; Qing dynasty

Qian Song, also known as Tielu, was a seal engraver, painter, and calligrapher from Qiantang (present day Hangzhou, Zhejiang). He was known to be a local official with an upright character. Especially skilled in seal engraving, he authored two books on the subject: Catalog of Tielu’s Seals and Catalog of Seals from the Weixu Studio. He was also well-known as one of the Eight Masters of Xiling.
Modeling his seals after the Qin and Han styles, Qian’s seal engraving skills also followed the forceful, unadorned style of the Zhejiang school. His 2,000 imitations of Han seals were impressive and highly praised by the artist Zhao Zhichen. Qian studied the carving methods of several renowned seal engravers such as Ding Jing, and added unique qualities to his pieces. Fine example of his works include the white-character square seals entitled Rejoice upon Witnessing Good and Wealth, Fame, and Longivity.