Cultivating Virtue: Botanical Motifs and Symbols in East Asian Art

Inspired by the beauty and resilience of plants and flowers, East Asian poets and artists have imbued them with auspicious meaning, literary resonance, and moral overtones. For example, because they survive the harsh winter months, the pine, bamboo, and Chinese plum (Prunus mume) symbolize strength in the face of adversity and are referred to as the “Three Friends of Winter.” Flowers affiliated with the four seasons and twelve months are also pervasive themes. This gallery rotation presents a small selection of later East Asian paintings that feature popular botanical themes and symbols, complemented by an array of ceramics with similar motifs. Organized by Robert D. Mowry, Alan J. Dworsky Curator of Chinese Art; and Melissa A. Moy, Cunningham Assistant Curator of Asian Art, both in the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art, Harvard Art Museums.