Folding Fan "Willows on the Riverside in Spring Breeze"

Dimensions: 53 × 24.5 cm

Painting: Liu Kuiling (China, 1885–1967)

Calligraphy: Liang Qichao (China, 1873–1929)

This elegant fan unites the talents of two masters. Liu Kuiling, renowned for his meticulous bird-and-flower and animal paintings, blended the precision of traditional Chinese gongbi technique with Western color and perspective to create lifelike, graceful imagery admired by artists such as Xu Beihong.

The accompanying inscription is by reformist statesman and celebrated calligrapher Liang Qichao, whose brushwork fuses the strength of Tang regular script, Han clerical style, and Northern Wei stele forms.

Together, Liu's delicate springtime willows and Liang's vigorous calligraphy create a refined harmony of painting and text, exemplifying the collaborative artistry of early 20th-century China.