Approximate Measurements
Artwork Panel: 31.5cm x 55.4cm ≈ 12½" x 21¾"
Silk/Brocade: 40.5cm x 116.8cm ≈ 16" x 46"
Width at Wooden Knobs: 49.5cm ≈ 19½"
Close up view of the artwork mounted to this silk brocade wall scroll
Chinese Calligraphy Wall Scroll
There is more than one way to translate this ancient Chinese military proverb. Here are a few interpretations:
A drop of sweat spent in a drill is a drop of blood saved in war.
More practice will give one a better chance of success in real situation.
The more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in battle.
I heard this many times when I was a U.S. Marine, but I had no idea at the time that it was actually an old Chinese proverb.
I met Cao Bin years ago, and long before his fame. At that time, his wife was running a small house cleaning business. One day she was tidying up my mother-in-law's home in Beijing and overheard that I am in the business of selling Chinese calligraphy and artwork. She asked if I'd like to meet her husband who was a pretty good calligrapher as she described him with modesty.
The next evening, I visited his modest studio and saw some really nice calligraphy and great black ink bamboo paintings that he'd just finished. After a lot of tea drinking and chatting, I asked if I could commission a few pieces.
Through the years, I would occasionally buy a few more pieces, not realizing how famous he had become. I might pop by his studio, only to hear from his wife that he was down in Anhui receiving an award for his calligraphy (calligraphy competitions are comparable to the fervor that sports championships have in the rest of the world). It finally dawned on me that this man I had known for about 7 years was a premier calligrapher for whom books had been published featuring his work, and the recipient of numerous awards.
The best part is that I have guanxi (a word that kind of means "special relationship" in Chinese), he gives me better prices than anyone else. This really fits well with my philosophy to offer high quality Asian artwork that everyone can afford.
When I first met him, Cao Bin had a shaved head like a Buddhist monk. Years later, he has traded in that look for the ponytail that is expected of the eccentric Chinese artist
A frenzy of people watch Cao Bin create his calligraphy during a special event
Cao Bin at his studio
Full view of Cao Bin's calligraphy studio
This is painted on xuan paper (often incorrectly called "rice paper"). The raw artwork was then taken to my workshop in east Beijing where the master mounter built it into a handmade wall scroll.