The Peony in Painting and Verse in China from the Eighth to the Thirteenth Centuries

Abstract

The appeal of the peony has a great history in China. Through an exploration of the bloom within its historical environment, we can gain an understanding of the appreciation of the flower in poetry and painting in order to interpret and evaluate some of the associations that representations of peonies evoked in early Chinese history. The reception of the peony was aligned with developments in intellectual history, serving as the subject of discussion in early scientific treatises as well as providing glamourous appearances to inspire debate about the nature of nature. This chapter investigates the changing perceptions of the flower as evidenced in poetry and painting throughout the eighth to thirteenth centuries in China.