The Duke Fishing

This verse is from the final part of the Twenty-four Verses by the Song dynasty (960–1279) poet Shi Zhiyu. The full poem reads: 時遷物換，革故鼎新。 土膏未動，商量打春。 太公有意垂釣，夫子無心獲麟。 The meaning of this poem is approximately as follows. It is a metaphorical reflection on how time brings change, including shifts in customs and systems. However, the land remains fallow, and men and cattle alike must be admonished against complacency. The Duke, a reference to Lu Shang of the Zhou dynasty, fishes with specific intentions, aiming to catch a qilin (a mythical creature that appears only under virtuous rulers) solely through his powers of concentration. Asami Kishu conveys the painful emotions and hidden aspirations of the Duke in this work, utilizing subtle gradations of ink, dynamic arrangement of characters, and strategic use of negative space. (A.J.)