Dimensions: 55.5 × 25 cm
Artist: Yi Bingshou (China, 1754–1815)
Colophon: "Corrected by my fellow Jinshi of the same year, Mr. Wumen …"

A native of Ninghua, Fujian, Yi Bingshou—courtesy name Zusi, studio name Mo Qing—was a Jiaqing-era jinshi who served as magistrate of Huizhou and prefect of Yangzhou. Celebrated for his elegant literary style and refined taste, he became one of the most distinctive calligraphers of the late Qing.

Yi’s work fused the strength of Han clerical script with the grace of seal script, forming a bold, monumental style admired for its “greater size, greater power.” He was also a skilled painter of ink plum blossoms and an accomplished seal carver who cut all his own seals.

This fan, inscribed with the phrase “Born by the Sea,” pairs Yi’s vigorous calligraphy with subtle painting, embodying the antique charm and stone-like solidity for which he is renowned.