Minneapolis Institute of Art
Good Fortune and Longevity
Empress Dowager CixiLinkedCulture matchlcp-3c827fbd5d8b
- Date
- 1902
- Medium
- Ink and color on silk
- Department
- Asian Art
- Institution
- Minneapolis Institute of Art
- Object ID
- 112760
From the Minneapolis Institute of Art record
The artist Cixi was an empress, and created this scroll of peony blossoms by applying graduated washes of color rather than drawing them as ink outlines. This is a hallmark of the mogu , or “boneless, ” method, which lends itself to conveying the delicacy and coloring of flower petals. The peony has been hailed as the king of flowers in China for its majestic scale, fragrance, and literary associations. Its rich colors and abundance of petals have linked the peony to nobility and wealth. These associations, as well as the inscription of good fortune on this painting, would have made the artwork a prestigious and auspicious gift from Cixi to a relative or courtier. The peony has been hailed as the king of flowers in China for its majestic scale, fragrance, and literary associations. Its rich colors and abundance of petals have linked the peony to nobility and wealth. These associations, as well as the inscription of good fortune on this painting, would have made the artwork a prestigious and auspicious gift from Cixi to a relative or courtier. Asia
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Provenance & credit
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- Credit line
- Gift of Yang and Helen H. Wang
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