Renounce Possessions - Chinese Buddhist Wall Scroll
181.5cm
71½"
48cm
18¾"

Approximate Measurements

Artwork Panel: 30cm x 120.5cm  ≈  11¾" x 47½"

Silk/Brocade: 39cm x 181.5cm  ≈  15¼" x 71½"

Width at Wooden Knobs: 48cm  ≈  18¾"

Renounce Possessions - Chinese Buddhist Wall Scroll close up view

Close up view of the artwork mounted to this silk brocade wall scroll

舍家棄欲

Renounce Worldly Possessions - Abandon Desire

shě jiā qì yù

This calligraphy scroll is a Buddhist concept. It suggests to leave home and cast off desire. Some will take this as a suggestion to become a monk. But as most Buddhists aspire to, this is a reminder to renounce the worldly life and abandon desire.

Do be careful, as this does suggest abandoning your home (and perhaps your family) as well as all of your attachment/desire. The Buddha did abandon his royal position (he was a prince) and left his family behind as he sought enlightenment.


This is a special edition with my signature style. It has ivory silk brocade panels with accent lines at the top and bottom, along with a copper-colored silk brocade inner-frame directly around the calligraphy panel. The paper is Buddhist orange, as is often used for Buddhist text and religious calligraphy.


About the calligrapher:

Caobin 2017

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.

Ponytail Cao Bin

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

Frenzy of people watching Cao Bin

A frenzy of people watch Cao Bin create his calligraphy during a special event

Caobin in Studio

Cao Bin at his studio

Calligraphy Studio of Cao Bin

Full view of Cao Bin's calligraphy studio


More about the artwork:

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.