2-748-487 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Zhao Mengfu Writing the Heart (Hridaya) Sutra in Exchange for Tea, 1542-43. The Yuan dynasty calligrapher Zhao Mengfu (1254-1322) is said to have transcribed the Heart Sutra for a certain priest named Li in exchange for tea. Later, during the Ming dynasty, the professional painter Qiu Ying from Suzhou painted this scene for his patron. Here, Zhao Mengfu holds a brush and has a piece of paper laid out before him. On the table is an ink stone, an ink stick, and a small water dropper. Drops of water would dissolve the ink stick into liquid ink when it was ground on the flat square stone.