Passe partout voor handrol, twee ambtenaren met gevolg op reis 1803

This 'Passe partout voor handrol, twee ambtenaren met gevolg op reis' was created by Zhu Henian around the late 18th to early 19th century. It is presented in its material components: scroll, fabric, and roller ends. There is a raw, unadorned quality to its presentation, which invites a focus on form and material. The eye is drawn to the contrast between the organic, aged paper and the patterned fabric, revealing a semiotic interplay between the natural and the constructed. The blank paper and ornate fabric could be interpreted as a commentary on the relationship between the artist's medium and their mode of representation, hinting at a symbolic order that transcends mere aesthetics. Consider how the deconstructed form of the scroll challenges traditional modes of art display. It compels us to engage with the artwork, not as a finished product, but as an unfolding process of construction, deconstruction, and interpretation, thus positioning the viewer as an active participant in the ongoing semiotic exchange.