Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Peony the Chinese Flower of Spring



The Peony in the seasons is the flower of Spring. In Chinese it is called Huawang  "king of the flowers", or Fùguìhuā the  flower of wealth and honor.


Charger with Blossoming Peony Decor, early 15th century, probably Yongle period, Ming dynasty, Jingdezhen kilns, Jiangxi, China, porcelain with underglaze cobalt blue - Sackler Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.

N.B. A charger as used here is a large plate or platter. Charger here is not used in the modern sense where a charger is a decorative underplate.



A.N.B. What is Yongle Period. It refers to the reign of Zhu Di, the Yongle Emperor who was the third of the Ming emperors. He was Born May 2, 1360 began his reign in 1402 and reigned until his death August 12, 1424. So the Yongle Period is 1402 to 1424.