Plum Branch and Bamboo

Object Details

• Artist

  Chen Jiru (1558-1639)

• Label

  The light application of ink accentuates the fragility of these plum blossoms, heightening the ephemeral quality associated with the flower's lifespan. Throughout Chinese literature and art, the plum blossom's delicateness has been associated with feminine beauty, especially in romantic contexts. In other milieus, plum blossoms hail the arrival of spring, bringing hope after the desolation of winter. With the addition of bamboo in the second album leaf, the two of the three "Friends" can represent man and wife-a pictorial device often used to wish newly married couples well. It is a concept derived from "gingmei zhuma," a famous poem by Li Bai (701-762) in which a young plum flower and a toy horse made of bamboo represent a woman and a man who have been fond of each other since childhood.

• Provenance

  To 1915

  Tonying and Company, New York to 1915 [1]

  From 1915 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Tonying and Company, New York in 1915 [2]

  From 1920

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

  Notes:

  [1] See Original Album List, pg. 48, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. By at least 1917, Tonying and Company maintained business locations in Shanghai, Beijing, Paris, London, and New York, NY. This object exhibits seals, colophons, or inscriptions that could provide additional information regarding the object’s history; see Curatorial Remarks in the object record for further details.

  [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

  Seasons: Chinese Flowers (July 2, 2011 to January 8, 2012)

  Beyond Brushwork: Symbolism in Chinese Painting (April 29 to November 26, 2006)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Tonying and Company 通運公司 (established 1902) (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  China

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Painting

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

  There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1600s, 1630s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, Tonying and Company

• Place

  China

• Topic

  Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, Chinese Art, Flowers, Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644), Bamboo, Plum blossom

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Paintings