A set of four paintings, depicting the "four gentlemen" of traditional Chinese art - plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums. Painted on handmade Japanese washi paper, which has a natural off-white hue, the images don't quite show it.
Each of the "four gentlemen" is attributed to a season and has symbolic interpretation of Confucian virtues:
- Plum blossoms are a symbol of winter, perseverance and hope. The tree blooms in late winter-early spring and fragile flowers can withstand cold weather, maintaining their beauty;
- Orchid is associated with feminine spring beauty and integrity of character;
- Bamboo is a symbol of brigh summer, it is associated with good luck, moral integrity, modesty, tenacity, and strong character;
- Chrysanthemum, a humble fall flower, symbolises perseverance, as it blooms through first winter frosts;
The paintings are signed, sealed, wet-mounted on backing rice paper and ready to be framed or mounted on a silk scroll. Please use acid-free adhesives when framing. The paintings are manually cut, please leave a few mm error margin for dimensions. Colours may differ due to differences in devices
Four gentlemen - set of four paintings.
Ink, watercolours, handmade washi paper, backing paper
