Fang Weiyi (1585–1668) was a woman poet, calligrapher, painter, and literary historian of the late Ming and early Qing period. Her courtesy name was Zhongxian; she was from Tongcheng in Anqing Prefecture.
Life
Fang Weiyi was the second daughter of Fang Dazhen, a Ming official who held the title of darixing, and the granddaughter of Fang Xuejian. Her elder sister was Fang Mengshi, her younger brother Fang Kongzhao, her younger sister Fang Weize, and her nephew Fang Yizhi. Her kin included Zhang Bingwen as an elder brother-in-law and Wu Lingyi as a brother's wife.
She married Yao Sunqi, a shengyuan, and was widowed early; one account specifies that she was widowed at seventeen. Her husband died without a son, after which she requested a return to her natal family to uphold her widowhood, remained chaste at Qingfen Pavilion, and became known for her strict widowly conduct; she also educated her nephew Fang Yizhi. She wrote prefaces for works by her elder sister Fang Mengshi and Yao Fengyi.
Literary and artistic work
Her literary activities included poetry, calligraphy, painting, and literary-historical editing. She abridged and edited 《古今宮閨詩史》, also listed under the title 《宮閨詩史》.
Her works include 《楚江吟》, in one juan, 《歸來嘆》, and 《清芬閣集》, also written 《清棻閣集》 and listed as eight juan. Other titles associated with her include 《宮閨文史》, 《宮閨詩評》 (one juan), 《尼說七惑》, 《方維儀詩輯》, and 《閨範》; the specific authorship relationship of these titles to Fang Weiyi is unspecified.
References
- CBDB Fang Weiyi (54969)
- Wikidata Fang Weiyi (Q24589873)
- 搜韵 方維儀 (46630)