{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O23585"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O23585/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BF2605/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BF2605/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006BF2605","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O23585","accessionNumber":"FE.38-1985","objectType":"Wrist rest","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Chinese scholars used wrist rests while composing calligraphy. In ancient times the Chinese wrote with a brush, in vertical lines from right to left. The ink on the paper did not dry quickly enough as the writer moved from one line to the next, and the wrist rest prevented the written lines from being smeared.\r\n\r\nMost wrist rests are made of bamboo. This is partly due to the naturally curving shape of a section of bamboo, and partly due to bamboo being a symbol of righteousness.","physicalDescription":"Bamboo wrist rest, curved cross-section, incised with a design of pine trees.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Jin, Shaofang","id":"A17016"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"AAT251917"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Yu Ming","id":"A17451"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"bamboo","id":"AAT11873"}],"techniques":[{"text":"carved","id":"AAT53149"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Bamboo, carved","categories":[{"text":"Writing","id":"THES261995"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"EAS","id":"THES48596"},"images":["2006BF2605"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"44","id":"THES49802"},"free":"","case":"CA065","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Wrist rest","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Shanghai","id":"x29883"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1921","earliest":"1921-01-01","latest":"1921-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Width","value":"23.9","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"5.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Inscribed 'xin yu shi yue Difan hua Xiya ke'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"Painted by Difan, cut by Xiya in the 10th month of the xin yu year","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"From Register"}],"objectHistory":"From the collection of Dr Ip Yee, Hong Kong","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Wrist rest by Jin Xiya, carved bamboo, China, dated 1921","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Jin, Xiya and Wang Shixiang. <u>Zhu ke yi shu</u>. Beijing, 1980."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Clunas, Craig. <u>Chinese Carving</u>. London: Sun Tree Publishing Ltd in association with the Victoria & Albert Museum, 1996. p. 53, fig. 55."},{"reference":{"text":"Moss, Paul, <i>Emperor, Scholar, Artisan, Monk: The Creative Personality in Chinese Works of Art</i>, London, 1984.","id":"AUTH356708"},"details":"p.170","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Wang Shixiang/Wan-go Weng. <u>Bamboo Carving of China</u>. New York: China House Gallery, 1983."}],"production":"From Register:\r\nDifan was a studio name of Yu Ming (1884-1935), from Wuxing, Jiangsu province, active in Shanghai.\r\n\r\nXiya was the <i>hao</i> of Jin Shaofang (1890-1979), also from Wuxing but resident in Shanghai, the leading bamboo carver of the 20th century.\r\n\r\nBiographical reference: Wang Shixiang/Wan-go Weng. <u>Bamboo Carving of China</u>. China House Gallery (New York, 1983) and Jin Xiya and Wang Shiziang, <u>Zhu ke yishu</u> (Beijing, 1980).\r\nCC 24/6/1986\r\n\r\nJin Shaofang was the brother of the collector Jin Shaocheng and of the painter Jin Zhang, mother of Wang Shixiang. Personal information from Wang Shixaing.\r\nCC 7/11/1986","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"REST FOR THE WRIST, USED IN WRITING\r\nCarved in bamboo\r\nCHINA; dated 1921\r\nFE.38-1985\r\n\r\nThe carving is by the carver Jin Shaofang (1890-1979), after a design by the painter Yu Ming (1884-1935). Both men worked in the city of Shanghai.","date":{"text":"pre 2005","earliest":null,"latest":"2004-12-31"}}],"partNumbers":["FE.38-1985"],"accessionNumberNum":"38","accessionNumberPrefix":"FE","accessionYear":1985,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-06-08","recordCreationDate":"2000-02-12","availableToBook":false}}