Accession Number1978/2.20
TitleBamboo, Rock and Tree
Artist(s)Zhan Jingfeng (Chan Ching-feng)Object Creation Date1550-1559Medium & Supportfan mounted as an album leaf, ink on gold paperDimensions 20 1/16 in x 6 ⅝ in (50.96 cm x 16.83 cm);18 1/16 in x 27 15/16 in (45.88 cm x 70.96 cm)
Credit LineGift of Jean-Pierre DuboscLabel copyScholar-amateur painters in China spoke of bamboo, plum, orchids, and chrysanthemums as the “four gentlemen” élåNéq. Each of these plants was associated with an admirable Confucian trait. Bamboo, for instance, symbolized resilience, as it can spring back after the harshest gale. Old trees and rocks suggest longevity and endurance. These meanings became rather conventional over time, much like the imagery in modern American holiday cards. Still, the choice of motifs in any given painting was not arbitrary. Fan paintings, especially, were often done as personal gifts and may contain private codes of meaning unknown to all but the artist and the recipient.
Maribeth Graybill, Senior Curator of Asian Art
Exhibited in "Flora and Fauna in Chinese Art," April 6, 2002 - December 1, 2002.
Primary Object Classification Unbound Work Primary Object TypeleafAdditional Object Classification(s)PaintingCollection AreaAsianRightsIf you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit
http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Keywords
Plants
calligraphy
trees