Yuan · Painter Calligrapher Poet and Hermit

Ni Zan 倪瓚

Born c. AD 1301

Passages: 8
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Ni Zan was a Painter Calligrapher Poet and Hermit.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Courtesy name	Yuanzhen	元鎮	Yuanzhen
Alternate name	Recluse of Cloud Forest	雲林居士	Yunlin Jushi

Life and dates

Death

Age 74
Directly stated · History of Ming 298, passage 43

Age

74
Reckoning Sui
Directly stated · History of Ming 298, passage 43

Attested activity

AD 1374 洪武七年
Directly stated · History of Ming 298, passage 43
AD 1341 至正初
Directly stated · History of Ming 298, passage 36

Career and standing

Adopted
Commoner disguise
Directly stated · History of Ming 298, passage 42
Held
Wealthy
Directly stated · History of Ming 298, passage 26

Places and affiliations

At Wuxi 無錫
Directly stated · History of Ming 298, passage 25
At Lake Zhen and the Three Marshes 震澤、三泖 · Relation Traveled
Directly stated · History of Ming 298, passage 37

Learning and skills

Skill poetry 詩 · Level accomplished
Directly stated · History of Ming 298, passage 26
Skill calligraphy and painting 書畫 · Level excelled
Directly stated · History of Ming 298, passage 26

Events and relationships

Distributed wealth to kin
Personal · Actor
Directly stated · History of Ming 298, passage 36
Escaped recruitment
Political · Fugitive · With Zhang Shicheng (張士誠)
Directly stated · History of Ming 298, passage 38

Assessments and attributes

obsession with cleanliness
Physical habit
Directly stated · History of Ming 298, passage 33
Item Qingbi pavilion 清閟 · Relation Resided in
Directly stated · History of Ming 298, passage 28

References in the histories

Search passages

History

8 passages

History of Ming, Chapter 298Volume 298 Biographies 186: Recluses · 8 passages

張介福倪瓚徐舫楊恆陳洄楊引吳海劉閔楊黼孫一元沈周陳繼儒 Zhang Jiefu, Ni Zan, Xu Fang, Yang Heng, Chen Hui, Yang Yin, Wu Hai, Liu Min, Yang Fu, Sun Yiyuan, Shen Zhou, and Chen Jiru

倪瓚，字元鎮，無錫人也。 Ni Zan, courtesy name Yuanzhen, was a native of Wuxi.

四時卉木，縈繞其外，高木修篁，蔚然深秀，故自號雲林居士。 Flowers and trees of every season encircled the pavilion outside, and tall timber and slender bamboo rose in lush, deep beauty. He therefore styled himself the Recluse of Cloud Forest.

求縑素者踵至，瓚亦時應之。 Those seeking silk scrolls for his paintings came in an endless stream, and Zan would sometimes oblige them.

未幾兵興，富家悉被禍，而瓚扁舟箬笠，往來震澤、三泖間，獨不罹患。 Before long warfare broke out, and wealthy families were ruined one after another. Zan alone, in a small boat and bamboo hat, moved between Lake Zhen and the Three Marshes and suffered no harm.

其弟士信以幣乞畫，瓚又斥去。 His younger brother Shixin sent gifts begging for a painting, and Zan drove him away once more.

士信恚，他日從賓客游湖上，聞異香出葭葦間，疑為瓚也，物色漁舟中，果得之。 Shixin was furious. One day, while touring the lake with his guests, he caught a strange fragrance rising from the reeds, suspected it was Zan, searched the fishing boats, and found him.

及吳平，瓚年老矣，黃冠野服，混跡編氓。 When Wu was pacified, Zan was already old. In a Daoist cap and rustic dress he mingled among the common people.