1.
the four classical arts of the East Asian scholar
A four-character compound referring to the four traditional accomplishments of an educated person in classical East Asian culture: playing the 琴 (the Chinese seven-string zither), the board game 棋 (Go), 書 (calligraphy), and 画 (painting).
A literary four-character idiom (四字熟語) imported from classical Chinese tradition. Each character names one of the four arts: 琴 (zither), 棋 (Go), 書 (calligraphy), 画 (painting).
Cultural note
In premodern China and Japan, these four accomplishments were considered essential for a cultivated person, especially scholar-officials and members of the literati class. In Japan the four arts became a favorite subject of folding-screen and sliding-door painting.
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Literary and formal. Mostly encountered in writing about classical culture, art history, or traditional aesthetics rather than everyday speech.