Attributed to Yun Shouping 1633-1690

depicting a group of elegantly deliniated narcissus, inscribed with a seven-character quatrain followed by a discussion of the source of the image in the work of Zhao Mengjian (1199-1267), bearing two seals: Yunxi, Shouping, with a silk brocade wrapper and Japanese wood box (3)

Acquired in Japan, 28th May 1960.

Chinese Paintings from the Henricksen Collection, Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University; Tyler Art Gallery, State University of New York, Oswego, 5th September 2002 - 23rd February 2003, cat. no. 27, illustrated.

silk quite toned, creases throughout, some surface soiling, reduced on the left side, slight surface abrasions
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As Dr. Sewall Oertling notes, the present work is strongly influenced by the flower paintings of the Song dynasty, particularly the works of Zhao Mengjian, a famous Song dynasty painter of narcissus and other flowers (op.cit. p. 67). During this period, flowers and birds began to be seen as subjects in their own right. The present work, while realistic in its depiction of the flowering bulbs, symbols of the New Year and of the Immortals, takes on an ephemeral, otherworldly quality. The bulbs emerge from a misty haze, not rooted in earth, the calligraphic leaves gracefully arch, and appear to float within a rarified space, far removed from the everyday world.