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

Yi Bingshou (1754~1815)
Yi Bingshou, also known by his nickname Moqing, was born in Ninghua, Fujian. In the year 1789, he passed his Jinshi examination and served as the magistrate of Huizhou and Yangzhou during the fifty-fourth year of Qianlong’s reign. He was highly respected in Yangzhou, where he was known as one of the “Three Threes” and his legacy was admired by the locals. The “Xian Temple”, which was originally dedicated to Ouyang Xiu, Su Shi, and Wang Shizhen, later enshrined Yi Bingshou and was renamed the “Four Xian Temple”. During his tenure, he was known for his honesty and good governance.

Yi’s official script has a unique personality, characterized by straight strokes, even distribution, full sides, strict order, and a strong sense of decorative art. Unlike the late Han Dynasty’s “silkworm head and swallow tail” habit, his official calligraphy couplet adopts a strict center stroke, hiding the head, and guarding the tail while adhering to strict rules. The strokes are round and straightforward, showcasing the authentic style of seal script and zhi brushwork. The ink color is soft and smooth, as bright as lacquer, the strokes are smooth and precise, strong and powerful, and the middle painting is thick and straight. The style of his official script is strict but not rigid, solemn and charming, exaggerated, and reasonable. It combines the best features of famous Han Dynasty steles such as “Ode to Yige”, “Zhang Qian Stele,” and “Hengfang Stele.”

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。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”。在任期间，以“廉吏善政”著称。
伊氏的隶书具有鲜明的个性，笔画平直，分布均匀，四边充实，方严整饬，有强烈的装饰美术之意趣，没有晚期汉隶的“蚕头燕尾”的习气。此隶书联，严格的中锋行笔，藏头护尾，法度森然，其笔画圆润率直，是地道的篆、籀笔意。墨色柔润，乌亮如漆，笔划光洁精到，其笔力雄健，中画沉厚挺拔，融合了《郙阁颂》、《张迁碑》、《衡方碑》等汉隶名碑的优点，形成了自己严而不刻板，凝重而有韵致，夸张而合情理的隶书风格。