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[[initialed signature]] ^[[S.I.]]
^[[Highly important]]

No. 5.

The Village "Lu Ming" and its great Man painted on silk by Wang Sha of the[[underline]] Tang dynasty [[/underline]]
^[[I believe it is Tang-]]
^[[L]] [[strikethrough]] h[[/strikethrough]]. 79.6" in. w.30.4" in.
[[short horizontal line]]

Wang Sha was skilled in painting plain finish landscapes, a process followed up closely by the later artists of the same shcool. According to historical account, in the early period of the ^[[warring]] [[strikethrough]] [[Zhuen?]] Several [[/ strikethrough]]Kingdoms, when the Duke of Mu Kung of the State of Tsin was attempting to invade Ts'ing, his prime minister warned him not to undertake the expedition. However the Duke of Mu Kung failed to take the counsel, and his troops had been nothing but overwhelmedby the Tsing for ces--two of the minister's sons died for the state. Then the Grand Minister Chien Shu [[strikethrough]][[returne]][[/strikethrough]]dretired into private life and made Lu Ming his home place.

Some years later, Mu Kung repented his actions and sent Kung Shu Chi to invite Chien Shu to enter into public life again and through him Tsin became the leading state under the Chow dynasty Emperor. This depicts an old style cart drawn by three oxen therein sat Chien Shu. In the mountains there were cottages here and there, travellers to and fro strolling on the mountain slopes and there was another cart in full speed driven by Kung Suen Chi, who was the Imperial messenger followed by a wagon loaded with Imperial gifts. Yonder shows a mountain pass which is the noted Han Ku Pass of the Shensi Province. It may be noted that Chinese painters of the Tang dynasty were apt to paint real facts of history of which this is one. This is one of the best work of old Chinese paintings with collection seal of a prime minister of Emperor Chien Lung of the Manchu dynasty. Even a lay man would be attracted by the excellence of the picture.