Flower and Bird

Most of Tsai Shuei-shi's extant paintings are ink-washes; colorful gongbi works (a meticulously detailed style of traditional Chinese painting) such as this are fewer. Painted in 1942, a long scroll with rich, vibrant colors, the 1942 work depicts a proud peacock standing amid a cluster of peonies. Perched on a rock, the peacock sports a resplendent crown and luxuriant tail feathers; surrounded by the peonies in full bloom, the bird projects a regal aura, while the peony blossoms present a dazzling array of colors, red, pink, and yellow. A single orchid bud, waiting to put forth its white blossoms, is a foil to the peonies. In the Chinese tradition, peonies symbolize the?yutang?or "jade hall"—i.e., a family of wealth and nobility—while orchids represent?fugui, "riches and honor."?Inscription: "Yutang fugui, Renwu (1942), fourth lunar month. Shuei-shi, waishi (waishi: "man of letters"). Seals: "Tsai Kuan"; "Shuei-shi."