Show simple item record

dc.coverage.spatialSite: Suzhou, Jiangsu, Chinaen_US
dc.coverage.temporal1952 (restoration); ca. 1513-1551 (creation)en_US
dc.creatorWen, Zhengmingen_US
dc.creatorWang, Xianchengen_US
dc.date1513-1551en_US
dc.date.accessioned2013-01-11T18:57:35Z
dc.date.available2013-01-11T18:57:35Z
dc.date.issued1513-1551en_US
dc.identifier183138en_US
dc.identifier.otherarchrefid: 2175en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1721.3/90113
dc.descriptionMountain in View Tower (Jianshan Lou, 見山樓), eaves; The garden's site was a scholar garden during the Tang Dynasty, and later a monastery garden for the Dahong Temple during the Yuan Dynasty. In 1513, during the Ming Dynasty reign of Emperor Zhengde, an administrator (censor) named Wang Xianchen (Wang Xiancheng) appropriated the temple and converted it into a private villa with gardens, which were constructed by digging lakes and piling the resultant earth into artificial islands. Following his retirement in 1522 it was frequented by many important artists in the Ming Dynasty. Wen Zhengming had his Tingyun studio near there. Its large open vistas emphasize water, and although today it is largely remodelled, its initial appearance can be envisaged through the many paintings it inspired. Wen completed a series of 31 views on album leaves in 1533 and another shorter series of eight in 1551. Today's garden is only very loosely related to its earliest version, but closely resembles its late Qing appearance, with numerous pavilions and bridges set among a maze of connected pools and islands. It consists of three major parts set about a large lake: the central part (Zhuozheng Yuan), the eastern part (once called Guitianyuanju, Dwelling Upon Return to the Countryside), and a western part (the Supplementary Garden). The house lies in the south of the garden. In total, the garden contains 48 different buildings with 101 tablets, 40 stelae, 21 precious old trees, and over 700 Suzhou-style penjing/penzai (miniature trees and rockeries). Source: Cultural China; http://www.cultural-china.com/ (accessed 7/27/2010)en_US
dc.format.mediumstone; stucco; wood; plantingsen_US
dc.rights© Scott Gilchrist, Archivision, Inc.en_US
dc.subjectarchitectureen_US
dc.subjectbotanicalen_US
dc.subjectdecorative artsen_US
dc.subjectlandscapeen_US
dc.subjectGardensen_US
dc.subjectwater gardensen_US
dc.subjectlandscape gardensen_US
dc.subjectMingen_US
dc.subjectQingen_US
dc.subjectZhengdeen_US
dc.titleHumble Administrator's Gardenen_US
dc.title.alternativeZhuozheng Yuanen_US
dc.title.alternative拙政园en_US
dc.typeimageen_US
dc.rights.accessLicensed for educational and research use by the MIT community onlyen_US
dc.identifier.vendorcode2A2-C-SU-HAG-P6en_US
vra.culturalContextChineseen_US
vra.techniqueconstruction (assembling) gardeningen_US
vra.worktypegardenen_US
dc.contributor.displayWang Xiancheng (Chinese landscape architect, active ca. 1513-1550); Wen Zhengming (Chinese artist, 1470-1559)en_US


Files in this item

This item appears in the following Collection(s)

Show simple item record