Pair of cranes and other birds in a garden

Plums are a primary motif in literati painting. Their significance can change depending on how they are combined with other imagery in a composition. This large painting presents two pairs of cranes and long-tailed birds, both symbolizing long life in Daoism. They are surrounded by a plum tree, camellia blossoms, and bamboo, all set against a backdrop of rocks and a stream. Here the plum, as with the camellia, is a sign of the spring season and helps set off the primary subject—the birds.

Jiang Tingxi won fame in the Qing court for the flower-and-bird paintings, created with precise and elaborate brushwork. In this composition, the birds’ refined feathers and the colorful blossoms, flowing water, and sharp rocks are harmoniously depicted. Jiang’s enchanting presentation combines symbolic images from a classical style developed by Ming court painters in the fifteenth century., Suitable for a holiday display, this painting is rich with motifs of an auspicious nature that symbolize prosperity, nobility, and longevity. A pair of cranes and long-tailed pheasants both symbolize long life in Daoism. They are surrounded by a plum tree (mei), camellia flowers (chahua), and bamboo (zhu), all set against a backdrop of rocks and a stream. The trio of pine, bamboo, and plum are the “three friends of the cold season”; they represent the imminent arrival of springtime, too. Blooming in the cold months, the plum and camellia blossoms herald renewal and prosperity. The crane and the plum motifs also allude to the Northern Song recluse-poet Lin Bu (967–1028), who was known for planting plum trees and raising pet cranes. He even likened the plum blossoms to his wife and saw the cranes as his children.