Confucius - The Great Sage

This wall scroll features Confucius, whose real name is Kong-Zi. His family name is "Kong", and the "Zi" is a title of distinction (especially used in ancient times).

Many in China still claim to be members of the Kong family, or at least distant relatives of Confucius. However, when the Cultural Revolution was about to begin, and Chairman Mao was taking power, virtually all members of the Kong family fled to Taiwan, never to return.

You can still visit the home of Confucius in Qufu, which is in Shandong Province of Northern China. It is a huge compound that had its own army, and status of a state within a state, much like the Vatican in Rome. The Kong family once wielded great influence, and even dictated that the train tracks be laid outside of the Qufu city, as to not disturb the slumber of Confucius in his grave. Even today, it is a long taxi or bus ride from the nearest train station to the Confucius compound.

About the Art...

This artwork was designed to look like an antique. The reality is, the black lines were printed onto this distressed and tea-stained paper. Then an artist painted in all the colored portions by hand. It this was a real antique, it would be worth $100,000 or more. Will all the detail in this piece, if it was fully hand-painted, I would have to charge $300 for it. However, since it's a partial print (and only an expert would be able to tell the difference), I can sell it for under $70!