The couplet “Reading promises pearl boats from time to time, while criticism on history often goes with waving of a jade whisk.”

The couplet “Reading promises pearl boats from time to time, while criticism on history often goes with waving of a jade whisk.”

The couplet is hung on the lower gate of Luokeng Abode, with an inscription reading “Written by Ci Qi and a seal. The white cursive script in a black background is based on the style of Yan Zhenqing, featuring broad and upright structure, weighty and bold strokes, and a magnificent and awe-inspiring grandeur. It is truly a masterpiece of Yan Zhenqingstyle in the Qing Dynasty, with the manner of Qian Nanyuan and Weng Fanggang. The couplet employs two allusions about the pearl boat and jade whisk, meaning that it is valuable when you have learnt something from reading, and that everyone has their own thinking and it’s a great pleasure to exchange ideas with others.