Portrait of Liu Yunzhuang

A woodcut portrait depicts Liu Yunzhuang, a scholar and official from the Southern Song dynasty. He is shown from the chest up. He wears a traditional official cap futou: A black cap with stiff, horizontal wings worn by officials during the Song and Ming dynasties. The figure has a thin mustache and a long, pointed goatee. He is dressed in wide-sleeved robes. He holds a ceremonial tablet hu: A narrow board made of bamboo, ivory, or jade used by officials to record notes or signify rank during imperial audiences upright with both hands. This posture represents a gesture of ritual respect. The style of the woodcut is typical of the biographical illustrations found in late Ming dynasty encyclopedias.