Dragonfly and lotus plants

Object Details

• Label

  Strong graphic designs with vibrant colors are among the best tapestries of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). The use of large blocks of color to create a bold design corresponds to a similar visual effect in fahua ceramics and in cloisonne. This composition of lotuses features one of the most respected and beloved flowers in Chinese lore. Rising fragrant and unsoiled out of muddy water, the lotus symbolizes purity, integrity, and the idea of spiritual transcendence in the Buddhist tradition. It also carries another meaning-peace-based on the pronunciation of "lotus" in Chinese, "he," which sounds like a differently written word that means "peace." The dragonfly (qingting) adds another pun with words for "dragonfly" and "clear" sounding alike. Thus this image suggests clear, peaceful waters, which served as a rebus for the stability of the Ming government.

• Provenance

  To 1911

  Pang Yuanji (1864-1949), Shanghai, China, to 1911 [1]

  From 1911 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Pang Yuanji, in China, in 1911 [2]

  From 1920

  Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

  Notes:

  [1] See Original Album List, S.I. 28A, pg. 41, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

  [2] See note 1.

  [3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Looking Out, Looking In: Art in Late Imperial China (October 14, 2017 - ongoing)

  Luxury and Luminosity: Visual Culture and the Ming Court (July 3, 2004 to June 26, 2005)

  Chinese Flower Paintings (March 18 to September 22, 1983)

  Bicentennial Exhibition: Chinese Art (December 5, 1975 to November 10, 1976)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Pang Yuanji 龐元濟 (1864-1949) (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  China

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Costume and Textile

• Restrictions and Rights

  CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1520s, 1620s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, Pang, Yuanji

• Place

  China

• Topic

  Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, Insects, Chinese Art, Rocks, Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644), Lotus, Slit tapestry

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Costume, Textiles