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Li
Wan
An
Ho, 1993, watercolor on silk mounted on rice paper using traditional
Chinese technique, 54" x 88"
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| Widowed
shortly after marriage to Baoyu's older brother, Li Wan exemplifies
traditional Chinese womanhood. She came from a family who used
to provide its young a well-rounded education. But her father
believed that his daughter should only be taught The Four Books
for Girls and Lives of Noble Women so that she could model herself
after the virtuous exemplars of the past. She was also raised
on the doctrine: "Lack of talent, for women, is virtue" and was
given a name that calls attention to the primary importance of
needlework for a woman. So as a young widow she devotes her life
to spinning and weaving besides taking care of her son. She does,
however, preside over the first poetry club organized by Tanchun
and serves as a member of a triumvirate to oversee the daily activities
of the Rong Mansion. In the sequel, she dies shortly after her
son succeeds in the civil service examinations. |
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