wood

Wood Painting

by
《古木寒泉》文徵明 明

Lu Jingxuan(陸敬軒), the magistrate of Yongcheng County(永城), is from Xiaoshan(蕭山), Zhejiang(浙江). He was tasked with renovating the Yongcheng yamen(administrative office or residence for government officials in imperial China) and decided to use local materials. There was an original willow tree within the yamen, which Lu Jingxuan chose to use for the renovation.

When the carpenters felled the willow and sawed it into boards, they discovered that the grain on the boards formed an exquisite landscape, resembling a painting created with light ink. 

The Escaped Ghost

by
🎨《溪山風雨圖》王蒙

In Juru County(句容), there was a constable named Yin Qian(殷乾), renowned in the county for his skill in catching thieves. Every night, he would often monitor the movements of thieves in secluded and desolate places.

One night, he went to a village and suddenly saw a person holding a rope rushing nervously past him from behind. Yin Qian thought to himself that this person must be a thief, so he followed closely behind.