Belles of the Bowl: 12 Flowers to Know in Chinese Art

Belles of the Bowl: 12 Flowers to Know in Chinese Art

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  A FINE WUCAI 'WINTERSWEET' MONTH CUP, MARK AND PERIOD OF KANGXI

  1 - Wintersweet

  Wintersweet is the flower god for the first month of the lunar calendar. Its Chinese name “ying chun” means “greeting spring,” and the bloom often symbolizes the imminent arrival of springtime. The wintersweet cup is also the first in a classic set of Kangxi period "month" cups depicting 12 seasonal flowers, each accompanied by two lines of poetry.
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  JIN CHENG, CRABAPPLE FLOWERS

  2 - Crabapple

  The delicate, bright crabapple embodies the second month of the lunar calendar. Its name "hai tang" is a homophone for the word “house” (tang), making it particularly auspicious for phrases related to family or household.
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  Chen Zhifo (1896-1962); Shen Yinmo (1883-1971), PERCHING BY PEACH BLOSSOMS; CALLIGRAPHY IN XINGSHU

  3 - Peach blossom

  While the peach blossom, flower god of the third lunar month, might also be considered a popular botanical symbol for Chinese New Year, it is frequently associated with romantic love. In a famous poem, Tang dynasty poet Cui Hu described a chance meeting with a beautiful young lady during springtime when the peach blossoms were in full bloom. When he returned to the same place a year later, the peach blossoms reappeared but his beloved did not, a bittersweet twist that suggests the transience of the human world. The blossoms in the spring breeze remained blissfully unaware his disappointment. This beloved poem has been frequently referenced in literature and has been adapted into operas.
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  A FINE, MAGNIFICENT AND EXTREMELY RARE BLUE AND WHITE HOLY WATER VESSEL
  MING DYNASTY, YONGLE PERIOD

  4 - Peony

  Peony marks the fourth month and is traditionally known as "the king of flowers." It symbolizes wealth, and is hence a highly favored subject in Chinese works of art. The luxuriant blossoms come in a vibrant hue, earning the flower great popularity. It also worth mentioning that The Peony Pavilion, written in the Ming dynasty, stands as one of the most enduring love stories in Chinese literature.
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  T'ing Yin-Yung (Ding Yanyong), ZHONG KUI GIVING AWAY HIS YOUNG SISTER IN MARRIAGE

  5 - Pomegranate Flower

  According to Tang dynasty legend, there once lived a man, Zhong Kui, who was so unsightly that even though he achieved the highest score in the Imperial examination, he was stripped of his title the moment the emperor saw his face. Infuriated by this injustice, the affronted man smashed his own head into palace the steps. Zhong Kui became an immortal feared by various devils and is viewed as a symbol of fiery righteousness. In Chinese art, he is often depicted wearing a bright red robe and represents the crimson pomegranate flower, the flower god of the fifth month.
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  A MAGNIFICENT RUBY-GROUND FALANGCAI ‘DOUBLE-LOTUS’ BOWL, BLUE ENAMEL YUZHI MARK AND PERIOD OF KANGXI

  6 - Lotus

  The lotus is the flower god of the sixth month. In Buddhism, the lotus is synonymous with purity and enlightenment. Similarly in traditional Chinese culture, the lotus flower embodies qualities that are noble, immaculate and incorruptible.
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  Zhang Daqian (Chang Dai-chien, 1899-1983), ORCHID

  7 - Orchid

  The orchid, flower god of the seventh month, stands alongside chrysanthemum, bamboo and plum blossom as the "Four Noble Gentlemen." For thousands of years, the orchid has been a popular subject in poems, works of art and paintings. Curiously, the orchid is somewhat of a fraudster of the natural world, as modern studies have revealed that orchids will use deception to attract pollinators. Such chicanery is in stark contrast with the orchid as imagined by Chinese literati. Traditionally, the flower has been admired for its integrity as well as its ability to thrive in remote valleys in solitude, a highly respected quality among scholars.
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  Qi Baishi 1864-1957, SWEET OSMANTHUS AND RABBITS

  8 - Osmanthus

  The flower god of the eight month, the name for osmanthus (gui) is a homophone for nobility or wealth. As a result, many four-character phrases that include gui have been coined over the past, making this flower a popular subject in Chinese works of art.
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  Shen Zhongqiang, AUTUMN CHRYSANTHEMUMS

  9 - Chrysanthemum

  The chrysanthemum is the flower god of the ninth month. This bloom is now an emblem of Tao Yuanming (365-427), an official of the corrupt Eastern Jin government who stepped down to the lead the life of an honest farmer in a small village. He cast off the trappings of material success, grew chrysanthemums and drank wine. These were all key themes in his poetry. To this day, Tao Yuanming is still revered for both his literary work as well as his moral integrity.
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  Gao Jianfu, ROSES

  10 - Rose

  Poets have praised the rose for its long blooming period while paintings, and works of art have tried to immortalize its beauty. Marking the tenth month, the rose carries significant cultural meaning, as it was also the emblem for the tribe led by “The Yellow Emperor” Huangdi, a revered early sovereign according to legends.
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  Attributed to Chen Hongshou, PLUM BLOSSOMS

  11 - Plum blossom

  The plum blossom represents the spirit of Liu Mengmei, the male protagonist of The Peony Pavilion. Now universally hailed as a classic, The Peony Pavilion scandalized society when the drama was first performed with its themes on women, sex and marriage. As the heroine actively pursues the man of her desires, the story is told with remarkably erotic undertones for its time. However, it isn’t peony that takes center stage in this case, but a different flower as the name "Mengmei" means "dreaming of plum blossoms," and it is this character that became the flower god of the eleventh month.
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  Lu Zhi 1496-1576, NARCISSUS

  12 - Narcissus

  Blooming in the winter months and a popular choice for Lunar New Year displays, narcissus is considered the flower god of the twelfth month. According to legend, two sisters E Huang and Nu Ying, both wives of Emperor Shun, threw themselves into a lake following their beloved husband’s death, and from their transformed spirits bloomed this winter flower. This has faint echoes of the Greek myth of Narcissus from which the bloom gets its English name but the stories are unrelated. In Chinese, the flower is named “shui xian” which means “water deity.”