A group of fourteen seals including one by Wang Daxin 印章一组十四件含王大炘一枚 19th to 20th Century 十九至二十世纪

Comprising fourteen various seals collected by Dr. Nathan Sivin; including one bamboo shoot seal carved and signed by "Bing Tie" Wang Daxin (1869-1924) the seal reading "Shu Pi" (this may be translated as "Book Addiction"); another four assorted bamboo seals (three inscribed); three caramel-colored rectangular soapstone seals (one inscribed), a tall mottled beige soapstone seal elegantly carved in low relief with lotus leaf and grasses; a pebble-shaped creamy stone seal carved with tree squirrels and fruiting vine; a paktong seal, and a small white and dark brown jade seal carved with a recumbent beast, and two small seals, possibly carved peach pits. All bearing carved seals; together with a Japanese silk pouch.

(H(largest): 2 5/8 in.)

PROVENANCE:

Property from the estate of Dr. Nathan Sivin, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

NOTE:

Wang Daxin, whose given name was Guan Shan, styled himself as "Bing Tie"(Icy Iron). Wang Daxin, together with Wu Changshuo, "Ku Tie"(Bitter Iron), and Qian Ya "Shou Tie"(Lean Iron), were known as "Jiang Nan San Tie"(Three Irons of South River). They are the three most renowned seal carvering painters active in China in the early 20th century.

Dr. Nathan Sivin (1931-2022), an eminent Sinologist and academic, focused on the history of Chinese science, medicine, and religion. He not only helped establish Daoist studies as an academic discipline but also integrated Chinese science and medicine into the general history of science.

Dr. Sivin started his academic training in 1948 at MIT, took some time off, and served in the U.S. Army from 1954 to 1956, during which he enrolled in a Chinese language program. His interests in Chinese culture whetted, in 1958 he completed his BS at MIT and started graduate studies in the new department of the history of science at Harvard University where he completed a PhD in 1966 on the history of Chinese Alchemy. During that time he studied Chinese language and philosophy in Taipei and Chinese alchemy in Singapore. He considered himself a disciple of the classically-trained Prince Aisin-Gioro Liu Yü-Yün (1906-2011), a student of Chen Baochen (1848-1935); tutor to the last Emperor of China.

Dr. Sivin was professor at MIT (1966-1977) up until he joined the University of Pennsylvania as a professor of Chinese culture and the History of Science (1977-2006). His long career at the University culminated in the position of Professor Emeritus of Chinese Culture in the department of History and Sociology of Science. Dr. Sivin taught many classes from the Scientific Revolution in Europe to advanced classical Chinese, and delivered over 250 guest lectures in Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America. He served on numerous boards including that of the society he helped found, the International Society for the History of East Asian Science, Medicine, and Technology. He wrote or edited over fifteen books studying the history of science, medicine, and religion in China. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences in 1977 and was named an honorary professor in the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1989.

Dr. Sivin and his wife, Carole Delmore Sivin, personally knew many of the important Chinese artists, historians, scientists, and scholars represented in the collection. Several works are dedicated to “Xi Wen” (Dr. Sivin’s Chinese name) by the author or artist. Dr. Sivin also collected older works created by such notables as members of the former Imperial family of China, Imperial tutors, and late-Qing dynasty statesmen. His broad scholarly interests in the culture and history of China are also evident, as the calligraphy includes works written in characters derived from ancient oracle bones and bronze ceremonial vessels, and quotations from classical writings in clerical script and running script.

Following in the tradition of classical Chinese scholars, Dr. Sivin’s collection illustrates the scholarly ideal of integration of poetry, calligraphy, painting, and seals: “Shi Shu Hua Yin”. Two notebooks of carefully annotated seal impressions show that many of the Sivin’s nearly fifty seals reflect the esteem in which he was held as a gentleman scholar. Like the calligraphy, many seals were carved and gifted by prominent artists, historians, and scholar friends, further illuminating his scholarly tastes and interests manifested in this collection.