Antique Chinese and Japanese Porcelain collector's help and info page

GLOSSARY

The Four Scholarly Accomplishments

In Imperial China, a well educated scholar was expected to be skilled in four arts:

Qin (the guqin)
Qi (the game of Go)
Shu (calligraphy)
Hua (painting)

Symbols of these accomplishments are often found in decorative art as checkered chess tables, brushes, silk scrolls, and the Chinese zither Qin (Guqin). Also called, The four signs of a scholar.

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