The Flowers of the Four Seasons (Chinese: 四季名花, Sìjì Mínghuā) are a traditional grouping of flowers found in Chinese culture[1] that spread to and influenced other East Asian[2] arts.
In Chinese art[3] and culture, the flowers that represent the four seasons consist of:
- (春兰) Chūnlán – Spring – orchid
- (夏荷) Xiahé – Summer – lotus
- (秋菊) Qiūjú – Autumn – chrysanthemum
- and (冬梅) Dōngméi – Winter – plum blossom
They contain three of the elements of the Four Gentlemen.[4][5][6][7][8]
Gallery[edit]
-
Plum blossoms (contemporary) -
Orchid - Hu Zhengyan (1633) -
Chrysanthemums from the Xian'e Changchun Album by Giuseppe Castiglione (1688-1766) -
"Elegance of Lotus Looking from Heaven" (contemporary)
See also[edit]
- Flower emblems in China
- Flower emblems in Vietnam
- Three Friends of Winter
- List of Chinese symbols, designs, and art motifs
- winter flowers (Article)
References[edit]
- ^ Chinese Symbols and Chinese Art Motifs Archived 2010-12-14 at the Wayback Machine. (Retrieved on March 25, 2009)
- ^ Lowe & Yasuhara 2016; Choi 2010.
- ^ Chinese Symbols and Chinese Art Motifs Archived 2010-12-14 at the Wayback Machine. (Retrieved on March 25, 2009)
- ^ article on Chinese painting with the 4 flowers and their symbolism Archived 2012-05-19 at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved 3-28-2009)
- ^ Google Booksearch scan of Description of Chinese Pottery and Porcelain by Yen Chu, Yan Zhu, Stephen Wootton Bushell, François Xavier Dentrecolles. Translated by Stephen Wootton Bushell. The Clarendon Press, 1910 (retrieved 3-28-2009)
- ^ Encyclopedia of Chinese Symbolism and Art Motives, C.A.S. Williams. New York: The Julian Press (1960). p. 190
- ^ People's Daily Online -- Plum blossom, peony proposed to be national flowers. (Retrieved on March 25, 2009)
- ^ "Birds and flowers of the four seasons, summer - eKokuhou".
Works cited[edit]
- Choi, JungBong (2010). "Of the East Asian Cultural Sphere: Theorizing Cultural Regionalization". China Review. 10 (2). The Chinese University of Hong Kong Press: 109–136. JSTOR 23462332.
- Lowe, Roy; Yasuhara, Yoshihito (2016). "Higher learning in ancient Korea, Japan and Vietnam: The East Asian cultural sphere and the Imperial Chinese". The Origins of Higher Learning. Routledge. ISBN 9781315728551.
Further reading[edit]
- Flowers Of The Four Seasons: The Fundamentals Of Chinese Floral Painting, Su-Sing Chow (in English and Mandarin Chinese). Art Book Publishing Co. (1983)