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The painting is an illustration of Dianyitai (lit. dotting Yijing terrace), where Shao Bao (1460-1527) read and annotated Yijing (I Ching, or the Book of Changes). Dianyitai was originally located above the Erquan Academy in the east foothills of Huishan mountain in Wuxi.
In Ming Zhengde 11th year (1516), Shao Bao built an octagonal terrace at the north of Dilu spring. The octagonal terrace symbolizes Bagua (the orientation chart of the Eight-Trigrams). A round boulder, representing Taiji, was placed in the center, flanked by two ridge stones, representing Liangyi (Two polarities: Yin and Yang). There are four stones, representing Sixiang (Four Symbols in Chinese constellation) in the periphery. A few steps above was the Songtan (pine stage).
Inscription by Cao Quan (Qing, late 19th-early 20th century)
點易臺圖。光緒壬辰十月上浣。邑後學曹銓题。鈐印：魚之
Dianyitai painting [lit. dotting Yijing terrace painting, means a painting of the terrace where the Yijing (I-Ching, or the Book of Changes) was studied and annotated]. Early tenth-month of Guangxu Renchen year (1892).
Junior scholar (or Protégé) Zeng Quan inscribed. Seal: Yuzhi
Inscription by Dou Zhen (1847-1928)
石臺久荒凉，秋来松子落。流泉濕幽徑，大易妙探索。吉凶參六爻，圖書古河洛。
晴波碧澄澄，夜星明灼灼。太極生兩儀，陰陽關丘壑。山空雲樹深，先賢己不作。
後學竇鎭敬题。鈐印：酒中仙、竇鎮書畫之印
The stone terrace has been desolated for a long time. The pine nuts fall in autumn, and the running spring dampens the quiet path. Peruse the mysterious Book of Changes. Good and bad fortune are revealed by the hexagrams, which are derived from the Hetu (Yellow River diagram) and the Luoshu (Inscription of the River Luo). The wave is clear blue; the stars are bright and brilliant. Taiji generates two polarities, yin and yang generate hill and ravine. The cloud and trees in the uninhabited mountain endure, yet the scholar has gone.
Junior scholar (or Protégé) Dou Zhen (signature)
Seal: Jiuzhongxian, Dou Zhen shuhua zhiyin
Inscription by Gu Jingying
地老天荒有古臺，陰陽闔闢肇胚胎。硯池山色層層變，石磴泉聲暗暗来。
理數通微泣神鬼，苞符洩氣召風雷。殘碑三尺埋秋艸，图畫蒼茫點翠苔。
後學顧敬瑩敬题。鈐印：顧氏銀明
There is an ancient terrace in the old days. The alternation of yin and yang creates an embryo. The inkstone pool is set amid the color-shifting mountains; the stone steps lay by the gurgling stream. The (I Ching) algorithm connects with the obscurity of the divine and the ghostly; the Bao Fu can summon wind and thunder. The broken three-foot stele is hidden under autumn grasses. The depiction is vast and boundless like the green moss.
Junior scholar (or Protégé) Gu Jingying (signature) Seal: Gu shi yinming
Inscribers:
Duo Zhen (1847-1928), courtesy name Shuying, pseudonym Zhuoweng, was a native of Wuxi, Jiangsu province. He served as the principal of the county school in Jiangpu county. In Xuantong third year (1911), Duo edited the book 《國朝書畫家筆録》 (Reigning dynasty painter and calligrapher record). The title page of the book was endorsed by Cao Quan, who was the scholar who titled this painting.
Cao Quan (Qing), courtesy name Hengzhi, Ci'an, was a native of Wuxi, Jiangsu province. Around 1898, with scholars, like Wu Zhihui (1865-1953), Yu Fu (1856-1943), and Ding Baoshu (1866-1936), they found the Wuxi public primary school. He published the book 《殷商甲骨刻文考》 (Yin Shang oracle bone inscription research).
About the painter
Although the identity of the painter was not revealed by any signature or seals on the painting, we can assume he was a great master from the way the scholars who inscribed and titled the painting refer to themselves, which expresses respect and esteem for the artist.
In 1957, Dianyitai was listed as one of the Jiangsu province cultural relic preservation sites. According to the record during that time, Dianyitai was in the east foothills of Huishan in Wuxi. There a path led to Dilu spring, Yanzhushi (cinnabar grinding stone), Songtan Keshi (pine stage stone tablet) and the Dianyitai (dotting Yijing terrace). Dilu spring was about one meter deep and one meter in diameter. Yanzhushi was an irregularly edged rectangle with the dimension of 0.95 by 0.98 meter. Its name 研朱石 (Yanzhushi) was engraved on the stone. There was an inkstone, measuring at 0.25 by 0.08 meter, raised about 1 cm from the grinding stone surface on the lower right corner. 2.6 meter above the Yanzhushi was a stone tablet engraved with two characters, 松壇 (pine stage). 6.48 meters ascending from the pine stage stone tablet on the hill lies another tablet measuring at 1.66 meter high, engraved with eight characters 青壁丹崖 人间天上 (green wall, red cliff, earth and sky), which was the calligraphy of Shao Bao. At the top, 13 meter above the pine stage, there was a tablet engraved with three characters 點易台 (Dianyitai), which is the name of the terrace.
note: Shao Bao (1460-1527), courtesy name Guoxian, pseudonym Erquan, posthumous name Wenzhuang, was a native of Wuxi, Jiangsu province. Shao was appointed as the Minister of Rites of Nanjing in 1519.
In Ming Zhengde 11th year (1516), Shao Bao built an octagonal terrace at the north of Dilu spring. The octagonal terrace symbolizes Bagua (the orientation chart of the Eight-Trigrams). A round boulder, representing Taiji, was placed in the center, flanked by two ridge stones, representing Liangyi (Two polarities: Yin and Yang). There are four stones, representing Sixiang (Four Symbols in Chinese constellation) in the periphery. A few steps above was the Songtan (pine stage).
Inscription by Cao Quan (Qing, late 19th-early 20th century)
點易臺圖。光緒壬辰十月上浣。邑後學曹銓题。鈐印：魚之
Dianyitai painting [lit. dotting Yijing terrace painting, means a painting of the terrace where the Yijing (I-Ching, or the Book of Changes) was studied and annotated]. Early tenth-month of Guangxu Renchen year (1892).
Junior scholar (or Protégé) Zeng Quan inscribed. Seal: Yuzhi
Inscription by Dou Zhen (1847-1928)
石臺久荒凉，秋来松子落。流泉濕幽徑，大易妙探索。吉凶參六爻，圖書古河洛。
晴波碧澄澄，夜星明灼灼。太極生兩儀，陰陽關丘壑。山空雲樹深，先賢己不作。
後學竇鎭敬题。鈐印：酒中仙、竇鎮書畫之印
The stone terrace has been desolated for a long time. The pine nuts fall in autumn, and the running spring dampens the quiet path. Peruse the mysterious Book of Changes. Good and bad fortune are revealed by the hexagrams, which are derived from the Hetu (Yellow River diagram) and the Luoshu (Inscription of the River Luo). The wave is clear blue; the stars are bright and brilliant. Taiji generates two polarities, yin and yang generate hill and ravine. The cloud and trees in the uninhabited mountain endure, yet the scholar has gone.
Junior scholar (or Protégé) Dou Zhen (signature)
Seal: Jiuzhongxian, Dou Zhen shuhua zhiyin
Inscription by Gu Jingying
地老天荒有古臺，陰陽闔闢肇胚胎。硯池山色層層變，石磴泉聲暗暗来。
理數通微泣神鬼，苞符洩氣召風雷。殘碑三尺埋秋艸，图畫蒼茫點翠苔。
後學顧敬瑩敬题。鈐印：顧氏銀明
There is an ancient terrace in the old days. The alternation of yin and yang creates an embryo. The inkstone pool is set amid the color-shifting mountains; the stone steps lay by the gurgling stream. The (I Ching) algorithm connects with the obscurity of the divine and the ghostly; the Bao Fu can summon wind and thunder. The broken three-foot stele is hidden under autumn grasses. The depiction is vast and boundless like the green moss.
Junior scholar (or Protégé) Gu Jingying (signature) Seal: Gu shi yinming
Inscribers:
Duo Zhen (1847-1928), courtesy name Shuying, pseudonym Zhuoweng, was a native of Wuxi, Jiangsu province. He served as the principal of the county school in Jiangpu county. In Xuantong third year (1911), Duo edited the book 《國朝書畫家筆録》 (Reigning dynasty painter and calligrapher record). The title page of the book was endorsed by Cao Quan, who was the scholar who titled this painting.
Cao Quan (Qing), courtesy name Hengzhi, Ci'an, was a native of Wuxi, Jiangsu province. Around 1898, with scholars, like Wu Zhihui (1865-1953), Yu Fu (1856-1943), and Ding Baoshu (1866-1936), they found the Wuxi public primary school. He published the book 《殷商甲骨刻文考》 (Yin Shang oracle bone inscription research).
About the painter
Although the identity of the painter was not revealed by any signature or seals on the painting, we can assume he was a great master from the way the scholars who inscribed and titled the painting refer to themselves, which expresses respect and esteem for the artist.
In 1957, Dianyitai was listed as one of the Jiangsu province cultural relic preservation sites. According to the record during that time, Dianyitai was in the east foothills of Huishan in Wuxi. There a path led to Dilu spring, Yanzhushi (cinnabar grinding stone), Songtan Keshi (pine stage stone tablet) and the Dianyitai (dotting Yijing terrace). Dilu spring was about one meter deep and one meter in diameter. Yanzhushi was an irregularly edged rectangle with the dimension of 0.95 by 0.98 meter. Its name 研朱石 (Yanzhushi) was engraved on the stone. There was an inkstone, measuring at 0.25 by 0.08 meter, raised about 1 cm from the grinding stone surface on the lower right corner. 2.6 meter above the Yanzhushi was a stone tablet engraved with two characters, 松壇 (pine stage). 6.48 meters ascending from the pine stage stone tablet on the hill lies another tablet measuring at 1.66 meter high, engraved with eight characters 青壁丹崖 人间天上 (green wall, red cliff, earth and sky), which was the calligraphy of Shao Bao. At the top, 13 meter above the pine stage, there was a tablet engraved with three characters 點易台 (Dianyitai), which is the name of the terrace.
note: Shao Bao (1460-1527), courtesy name Guoxian, pseudonym Erquan, posthumous name Wenzhuang, was a native of Wuxi, Jiangsu province. Shao was appointed as the Minister of Rites of Nanjing in 1519.