Peacock with Flowers and Fantastic Rocks, 17th century
Unknown artist, Chinaexpand_more
Ink and color and gold on silkexpand_more
Gift of Ruth and Bruce Daytonexpand_more 2002.4.6
Not on Viewexpand_more
With tail feathers spread in full array, a peacock strolls in a garden resplendent with blossoms and bamboo. The contorted and pierced forms of the fantastical blue-green taihu rocks were greatly admired by artist-scholars. The flowers were standard motifs associated with good fortune during both the Ming and Qing dynasties (1300s–1800s). The peacock, however, reflects a new layer of meaning brought about by the Manchu conquest of 1644. The new rulers from the north of China presented themselves as protectors of Chinese culture in the face of social and political chaos. They adopted the image of Mahamayuri, the “Peacock Mother of the Buddha” and “Protectress of the North” as one of their political emblems.
A painting like this would have made an appropriate gift for a high-ranking Manchu official, who might have displayed it in one of his home’s public spaces.
Details
- Title
- Peacock with Flowers and Fantastic Rocks
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2002.4.6
- Curator Approved
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