Late 1800s to early 1900s

Vase

The flowering plum is one of the most beloved and enduring images in Chinese art, in part because it is among the first plants to bloom each spring. As a sixth-century poet noted, "She alone has the gift of recognizing spring." From the twelfth century on, an entire genre of painting was devoted to aspects of the flowering plum. On this spectacular vase, the artist has given us one interpretation: a night view with the tree set against the dark, black sky. The delicate blossoms contrast with the gnarled, aged trunk of the tree as both wrap around the contours of the perfectly formed vase.