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Traditionally attributed to Gu Kaizhi (AD 345–406), 'The Admonitions Scroll' ('Admonitions of the Instructress to the Court Ladies'). Handscroll painting, China, 5–7th century AD.
Exhibition
Admonitions of the instructress to the court ladies
14 Jul 2025 – 25 Aug 2025
Regular hours
- Monday
- 10:00 – 17:30
- Tuesday
- 10:00 – 17:30
- Wednesday
- 10:00 – 17:30
- Thursday
- 10:00 – 20:30
- Friday
- 10:00 – 20:30
- Saturday
- 10:00 – 17:30
- Sunday
- 10:00 – 17:30
Address
- Great Russell Street
- London
- WC1B 3DG
- United Kingdom
Travel Information
- Holborn (500m), Tottenham Court Road (300m), Russell Square (800m), Goodge Street (800m)
This masterpiece is considered a milestone in Chinese painting history.
About
Traditionally attributed to Gu Kaizhi (about AD 345–406), it probably dates to between AD 400 and 700. Due to conservation precautions, it can only be displayed for six weeks a year.
The Admonitions Scroll depicts a poetic text composed by an official Zhang Hua (about AD 232–300) aimed at correcting the behaviour of an empress. The Scroll carries inscriptions by later collectors including the Qianlong emperor (r. 1736–1795). The British Museum purchased the Scroll from Captain Clarence Johnson (1870–1937) who was in Beijing in 1900 during the Boxer Rebellion (1899–1901). Originally a handscroll, the painting and later inscriptions were separated and mounted onto panels in 1914.
