Dai Kui Explained

Dai Kui (ca. 331–396), courtesy name Andao was a writer, painter, and sculptor who lived during the Eastern Jin dynasty in China.^{[1] [2]}

Dai Kui was born in Zhi, modern day Su county in Anhui province.^[3] He and his song, Dai Yong, were extremely influential in reinterpreting Buddhist iconography through a Chinese artistic lens; however, none of their work survives due to the later years of persecution and suppression of Buddhism.^[4] Dao Kui was the first to master the dry-lacquer technique.^[5]

He was known as a poet, painter, and musician and was one of the first to establish the tradition of scientific amateur painting (wenrenhua). He was also the leading sculptor of his time. He created bronze, lacquer statues, and carved wooden sculptures.^[6] Dai Kui painted mostly Buddhist and Daoist themes.^[7]

Dai Kui gained some notoriety after an incident where he refused to play the zither, which he was quite accomplished at, for a prince. Upon being summoned by the prince, he smashed the zither on the ground rather than perform as a court minstrel.^[8]

Notes and References

1. Book: 蜂屋邦夫 .

   ja:蜂屋邦夫

   . 欽偉剛譯. zh:《道家思想與佛教》. 211–303 . zh:〈戴逵的藝術．學問．信仰〉. 遼寧教育出版社 . 瀋陽 . 2000 . 7538258736 . zh-hans.
2. Book: Murmured Conversations: A Treatise on Poetry and Buddhism by the Poet-Monk Shinkei . 2008-04-16 . Stanford University Press . 978-0-8047-7939-5 . 245 . en.
3. Book: Knechtges . David R. . Ancient and Early Medieval Chinese Literature (vol.I): A Reference Guide, Part One . Chang . Taiping . 2010-09-10 . BRILL . 978-90-04-19127-3 . 180 . en.
4. Book: Howard . Angela Falco . Chinese Sculpture . Hung . Wu . Song . Li . Hong . Yang . 2006-01-01 . Yale University Press . 978-0-300-10065-5 . 4 . en.
5. Book: Pellizzi, Francesco . Res: Anthropology and Aesthetics, 55/56: Absconding . 2010-01-15 . Harvard University Press . 978-0-87365-854-6 . 53–56 . en.
6. Book: Lee, Sherman E.. China, 5000 years: innovation and transformation in the arts. 1998. New York : Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. 978-0-89207-202-6.
7. Web site: Chinese painting - Qin (221–206 bce) and Han (206 bce–220 ce) dynasties. 2020-07-15. Encyclopedia Britannica. en.
8. Book: Zhitui, Yan . Family Instructions for the Yan Clan and Other Works by Yan Zhitui (531–590s) . 2021-03-08 . De Gruyter . 978-1-5015-0319-1 . Kroll . Paul . 433 . 10.1515/9781501503191.