Poetic Exchange Between Master Hanshan and Pang Yun

CHINA; Northern Song dynasty

Consisting of 125 characters in 26 lines, this poem was written by Huang Tingjian when he was 55 years old. The work is a copy of a poetic exchange that occurred between two eminent figures of the Tang dynasty (618–907): Master Hanshan, a monk, and Pang Yun, a lay Buddhist. Both men were renowned for their poetry, and Pang Yun, better known as Pang Jushi, was noted for his reclusive tendencies and verses on meditation and spiritual practice.
Huang Tingjian was a Buddhist poet and calligrapher of the Northern Song dynasty (960–1127) who was greatly influenced by the Chan school. This work of calligraphy by Huang features a well-balanced composition, with strokes that are harmoniously interspersed. Characters are compacted into the center with all major strokes forcefully stretched. The brush rises and presses quickly between each stroke, exhibiting a sense of great control and energy on behalf of the calligrapher.