Five Character Couplet in Clerical Script《隶书五言联》

Yi Bingshou (1754–1815)
Yi Bingshou, courtesy name Zusi and pseudonym Moqing, was from Ninghua, Fujian. In the 54th year of the Qianlong reign (1789), he passed the imperial examination and served as the prefect of Huizhou and Yangzhou. During his tenure, he was renowned for his “honest governance and good administration.” To honor his legacy, the people of Yangzhou included him in the local “Temple of the Three Worthies” (which honored Ouyang Xiu, Su Shi, and Wang Shizhen), renaming it the “Temple of the Four Worthies.”

Yi Bingshou’s clerical script drew inspiration from Han dynasty steles, incorporating elements from famous Han clerical inscriptions like “Fu Ge Inscription,” “Zhang Qian Stele,” and “Heng Fang Stele.” He also integrated the styles of contemporary masters, using seal script techniques to write clerical script, creating a dignified yet not rigid, heavy yet elegant, exaggerated yet reasonable style. His large characters were particularly remarkable, praised by Liang Zhangju as “the bigger, the stronger.” This clerical script couplet features vigorous and composed brushwork, broad and structured composition, and an ancient and refined aesthetic, giving a sense of formal and meticulous beauty.

Translation of couplet: “Using purity brings harmony, Preferring ancient pleasures.”

伊秉绶（1754—1815），字组似，号墨卿，福建宁化人。乾隆五十四年（1789）进士，官惠州、扬州知府。在任期间，以“廉吏善政”著称。扬州人为仰慕其遗德，在当地“三贤祠”（祀欧阳修、苏轼、王士祯三人之祠）中并祀伊秉绶，改称“四贤祠”。

伊秉绶的隶书从汉碑中摄取神理，融合了《郙阁颂》《张迁碑》《衡方碑》等汉隶名碑的长处，又旁参当时名家，用篆书的笔法来写隶书，形成了自己庄严而不刻板，凝重而有韵致，夸张而合情理的隶书风格。他的大字极为精彩，梁章钜对之有“愈大愈壮”之评。此隶书联，用笔劲健沉着，结体宽博，格调高古，给人以方整严谨的装饰美感。释文：用清自和畅，所尚多古欢。