Xue Susu (; also known as Xue Wu(薛五), Xuesu(薛素), Sujun among other pen names) (1564–1650? C.E.) was a Chinese

courtesan Courtesan, in modern usage, is a euphemism for a "kept" mistress or prostitute, particularly one with wealthy, powerful, or influential clients. The term historically referred to a courtier, a person who attended the court of a monarch or other ...

. Known as one of the "Eight Great Courtesans of the

Ming Dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han peo ...

", she was an accomplished painter and poet, and was noted for her skill at mounted archery. She was particularly noted for her figure paintings, which included many Buddhist subjects. Her works are held in a number of museums both in China and elsewhere. Her archery was commented upon by a number of contemporary writers, as were her masculine, martial tendencies; these were regarded as an attractive feature by the literati of the period. She lived in Eastern China, residing for most of her life in the

Zhejiang Zhejiang ( or , ; , Chinese postal romanization, also romanized as Chekiang) is an East China, eastern, coastal Provinces of China, province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable citie ...

and

Jiangsu Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its ca ...

districts. After a career as a celebrated courtesan in

Nanjing Nanjing (; , Mandarin pronunciation: ), alternately romanized as Nanking, is the capital of Jiangsu province of the People's Republic of China. It is a sub-provincial city, a megacity, and the second largest city in the East China region. T ...

, Xue married several times, but none of these unions lasted. During her later life, she eventually opted for the life of a Buddhist recluse.

Biography

Xue was born in either Suzhou or

Jiaxing Jiaxing (), alternately romanized as Kashing, is a prefecture-level city in northern Zhejiang province, China. Lying on the Grand Canal of China, Jiaxing borders Hangzhou to the southwest, Huzhou to the west, Shanghai to the northeast, and the p ...

(contemporary sources disagree). According to the historian

Qian Qianyi Qian Qianyi (; Suzhou dialect: ; 1582–1664) was a Chinese historian, poet, and politician during the late Ming dynasty.Cihai: Page 1704. Qian was a famous author and poet; and along with Gong Dingzi and Wu Weiye was known as one of the Three ...

she spent at least some of her childhood in

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

. She spent her professional life in the Qinhuai pleasure quarter of Nanjing in the 1580s, where she became something of a celebrity among the literati and government officials who frequented the "flower houses" there. She was highly selective in her clientele, accepting only learned and scholarly men as her lovers and declining to proffer her affections for mere financial gain; suitors might spend thousands of

taels Tael (),"Tael" entry
at the

In the 1590s she returned to Beijing, where the parties and literary gatherings that she hosted, as well as her archery demonstrations, further cemented her reputation. Xue referred to herself as "a female

knight-errant A knight-errant (or knight errant) is a figure of medieval chivalric romance literature. The adjective ''errant'' (meaning "wandering, roving") indicates how the knight-errant would wander the land in search of adventures to prove his chivalric v ...

", and took her name from a famous woman warrior from history; she also chose the sobriquet Wulang 五郎 ("fifth young gentleman") as a nickname. The "female knight-errant" epithet was reiterated by both the bibliophile

Hu Yinglin Hu Yinglin (; 1551–1602), also known as Hu Yuanrui, was a Chinese scholar, writer and bibliophile during the late Ming dynasty. A native of Lanxi, he produced over 1,000 works of scholarship. His two most noted works are the ''Shaoshishan fang ...

and Fan Yulin, Secretary to the Ministry of War. Apparently fond of martial causes, she was not above using her position to influence military affairs, on one occasion abandoning her lover Yuan Baode when he refused to fund an expedition against the Japanese in Korea. At some point after 1605 her career as a courtesan came to an end when she married the playwright and bureaucrat

Shen Defu Shen Defu () (1578–1642) was a Chinese writer and bureaucrat during the Ming Dynasty. He lived in Zhejiang. In 1618, he achieved the rank of '' juren'' in the Imperial examinations, but failed an exam for promotion to the rank of ''jinshi'' a yea ...

. She was married several times (making many of the proposals herself) but none of these unions lasted. As well as Shen Defu, her husbands included General Li Hualong, art critic

Li Rihua Li Rihua (1565–1635) was a Chinese bureaucrat, artist and art critic from Jiaxing, during the late Ming Dynasty. He wrote an extensive diary, the ''Weishuixuan riji'' (Water-Tasting Gallery Diary), from 1609 to 1616, which detailed his many acquis ...

and, in later life, an unnamed (but wealthy) merchant from Suzhou. Although she wanted children, she was never able to have any. In later life she converted to

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religions, Indian religion or Indian philosophy#Buddhist philosophy, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha. ...

and remained single thereafter, largely retiring from the world. Even in her eighties, however, she was still active in the literary world, entertaining female artists such as Huang Yuanjie and Yi Lin at her home on the

West Lake West Lake (; ) is a freshwater lake in Hangzhou, China. It is divided into five sections by three causeways. There are numerous temples, pagodas, gardens, and natural/artificial islands within the lake. Gushan (孤山) is the largest natural ...

after the collapse of the Ming Dynasty. With her Buddhist friend Yang Jiangzi (the sister of Xue's fellow courtesan Liu Yin), she made pilgrimages to sacred sites such as

Mount Lu Mountain Lu or Lushan (, Gan: Lu-san), officially named Mountain Lu National Park, is a mountain in China. It was also known as Kuanglu () in ancient times. It is situated in Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province, and is one of the most renowned mounta ...

and

Mount Emei Mount Emei (; ), alternately Mount Omei, is a mountain in Sichuan Province, China, and is the highest of the Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains of China. Mount Emei sits at the western rim of the Sichuan Basin. The mountains west of it are know ...

. The date of her death is uncertain; some sources suggest that she may have lived into the 1650s whilst others put her death in the late 1630s or early 1640s. Qian Qianyi mentions her death in a work published in 1652, so it is evident that she must have died before this date.

Paintings

Already an accomplished painter in her teenage years, Xue was well known for her artistic talent. Her work was considered similar to that of Chen Chun. One of her paintings was considered "the most accomplished work of its kind in the whole of the Ming period", and contemporary art critics regarded her as "a master of technique". Hu Yinglin considered her to be at the pinnacle of contemporary painting, asking, "What famous painter with skilled hands can surpass her?" and claiming that "... hesurpasses anyone in the painting of bamboo and orchids." She was also keenly admired by eminent painter and art critic

Dong Qichang Dong Qichang (; courtesy name Xuanzai (玄宰); 1555–1636), was a Chinese painter, calligrapher, politician, and art theorist of the later period of the Ming dynasty. Life as a scholar and calligrapher Dong Qichang was a native of Hua Ting (l ...

, who was inspired to copy the entire Heart Sutra in response to Xue's painting of the bodhisattva Guanyin; he claimed that "None f Xue Susu's workslacks an intention and spirit that approaches the divine." Although she painted the standard subjects of landscapes, bamboo and blossoms (being particularly fond of orchids), Xue was noted for her work in figure painting, which was a comparatively unusual artistic topic for courtesans to address. Examples of her paintings are displayed at the

Honolulu Museum of Art The Honolulu Museum of Art (formerly the Honolulu Academy of Arts) is an art museum in Honolulu, Hawaii. The museum is the largest of its kind in the state, and was founded in 1922 by Anna Rice Cooke. The museum has one of the largest single co ...

and the San Francisco Asian Art Museum.

Poetry

Xue regularly accented her paintings with her own poems, and published two volumes of writing, only one of which is still extant. ''Hua suo shi'' (''Trifles about Flowers'') is a collection of short prose essays and anecdotes about various flowers, whilst ''Nan you cao'' (''Notes from a Journey to the South''), which has been lost, apparently contained a selection of her poems regarding life as a courtesan. A number of these were collected in various anthologies from the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. Hu Yinglin wrote that "Her poetry, although lacking in freedom, shows a talent rare among women." Moving in literary circles, Xue also provided the subject matter for many contemporary poets. Xu Yuan, another female poet of the period, describes Xue's allure:

''Lotus blossoms as she moves her pair of arches'' ''Her tiny waist, just a hand's breadth, is light enough to dance on a palm'' ''Leaning coyly against the East Wind'' ''Her pure colour and misty daintiness fill the moon.''

Hu Yinglin wrote of Xue:

''Who transplanted this flower of renowned species to the Imperial garden?'' ''Hers is a smile worth a thousand pieces of gold'' ''She lives near the mooring like Taoye each Leaf under the wind'' ''She resembles rushes, standing in the water, embracing the moon, and humming'' ''The red phoenix is half-raised because of her mate'' ''Her eyebrows are slightly frowning, expecting a heart to share'' ''This is the moment to read ''Eternal Regret'', the poem of Bo Juyi'' ''Beside the bed, she is awaiting the lute of jade.''

Xue's own works deal with a variety of themes, from the mildy erotic:

''Inside the city walls of stone in the pleasure quarter'' ''I feel deeply mortified that my talents outshine all the others'' ''The river glitters, the waters clear, and the seagulls swim in pairs'' ''The sky looks hollow, the clouds serene, and the wild geese fly in rows'' ''My embroidered dress partly borrows the hue of hibiscus'' ''The emerald wine shares the scent of lotus'' ''If I did not reciprocate your feelings'' ''Would I dare to feast with you, Master He?''

to the romantic:

''This lovely night I think of you, wondering whether you will return'' ''The lonely lamp shines on me, casting a faint shadow'' ''I clutch one lone pillow; there is nobody to talk to'' ''Moonlight floods the deserted courtyard; tears soak my dress.''

to the whimsically philosophical:

''Full of aroma is the taste of wine beneath the bloom'' ''Tinged in azure the gate surrounded by bamboo'' ''In solitude I watch the seagulls fly across the sky'' ''Carefree and content, I feel fully satisfied.''

Xue often exchanged poems and paintings with her clientele, receiving their own artworks in exchange.

Archery

Whilst she excelled at poetry, painting and embroidery, the skill that set Xue apart from other courtesans and created a cult of celebrity around her was her talent for archery. Her mastery of a traditionally masculine art gave her an air of androgyny that was considered highly attractive by the literati of the time. Having practiced in Beijing as a child she furthered her skills during a sojourn in the company of a military officer in the outlying regions of China. The horsemen of the local tribes there were impressed with her shooting, and she became something of a local celebrity. Later in life she gave public demonstrations in

Hangzhou Hangzhou ( or , ; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), also romanized as Hangchow, is the capital and most populous city of Zhejiang, China. It is located in the northwestern part of the province, sitting at the head of Hangzhou Bay, whic ...

, which drew large audiences. Hu Yinglin describes one such performance:

"She is able to shoot two balls from her crossbow one after another and make the second ball strike the first and break it in mid-air. Another trick she can do is to place a ball on the ground, and, by pulling the bow backwards with her left hand, while her right hand draws the bow from behind her back, hit it. Out of a hundred shots, she does not miss a single one.

The poet Lu Bi recalls another trick shot performed by Xue: "When the servant girl takes a ball in her hand and places it on top of her head / She ueturns around, hits it with another ball, and both balls fall to the ground."

Biography

Paintings

Poetry

Archery

References

Further reading