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Secondary sourceBookYuan dynasty

Zhao Mengfu Calligraphy Scroll of Three Chapters of the Tao Te Ching

Zhao Mengfu · Yuan dynasty

A Yuan-period calligraphy handscroll by Zhao Mengfu copying three chapters of Laozi's text.

It is a Yuan-period handcopy of three chapters of the text traditionally attributed to Laozi, which connects the scroll to his teaching.

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Handscroll of Chinese calligraphy in black ink on yellowish paper, with columns of vertical characters, red seal impressions, and a silk mounting border. On the right, a large black-ink character block reads 众妙之门.
Zhao Mengfu, calligraphy scroll of three chapters of the Tao Te Ching, Yuan dynasty. Handscroll.

About this source

What it is

This is a handscroll of Chinese calligraphy in black ink on yellowish paper. It has columns of vertical characters, red seal impressions, and a silk mounting border. On the right, a large block of black-ink characters stands out. The scroll copies three chapters of the text attributed to Laozi and is by Zhao Mengfu, from the Yuan period. The facts available do not record where it is now held.

Why it matters

The text is the Tao Te Ching, traditionally linked to Laozi. Zhao Mengfu was a Yuan-period artist, and copying an ancient text by hand was a respected way to study and show one's skill. The scroll reveals how a Yuan scholar-artist engaged with Laozi's teaching, and how writing was valued as art as well as a means of reading.

Look closer

  • How does the size and arrangement of the large characters on the right differ from the smaller columns?
  • What might the red seals tell you about the people who owned or viewed the scroll?
  • What does a copy in one artist's hand leave out about how the text was read by others?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Laozi on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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