Xie Jieshi / Eight-character Couplet in Running Script

Xie Jieshi 1878-1954

Display size：186 X40 cm (X2)

Collection Number：2014-1-0200

Xie Jieshi (1878-1954), originally named Kai, with the courtesy names You'an, was born in Nanmen, Tek-chhàm. He was a versatile scholar, excelling in poetry and prose. Xie attended the National Language Training School during the Japanese colonial period, and pursued further studies in Japan, where he became acquainted with Zhang Xun's son, leading to his connection with Puyi, the last Emperor of China. After the establishment of Manchukuo, Xie held important positions such as Foreign Minister and Ambassador to Japan, making him the highest-ranking Taiwanese official in Manchukuo. However, after World War II, he was arrested in Beijing on charges of collaboration with the enemy.

This artwork was created by Xie Jieshi to celebrate the opening of a friend's store. The embedded couplet displays balanced and smooth strokes, with the store's name cleverly integrated into the upper and lower lines of the couplet. It was likely a social gesture among literati. Unfortunately, the piece lacks a specific date in the inscription, making it difficult to determine the time and place of its creation.