Peonies (c. 1905) by Empress Dowager CixiUniversity of Alberta Museums
Peonies Blossom in the Imperial Garden
Imperial Gardens, which were exclusively used by the emperor and his family as a private retreat, followed a distinct style that emerged over 3000 years in China¹. The resulting aesthetic is a harmonious combination of humanity and nature.
Common components of the classical Chinese garden include trees, flowers, specifically-shaped rocks, pavilions, water features, and bridges.
Empress Dowager Cixi (1835-1908)
One of the most powerful figures during the late Qing dynasty, the Empress Dowager was fond of the imperial garden and the plethora of flowers found within. A patron of the arts, the Empress Dowager was known to have an affinity for painting, especially those with floral motifs.
The hanging scroll Peonies, which is attributed to her, demonstrates one of the ways in which she was influenced by her natural surroundings. As the subject of this hanging scroll, the peony represents wealth, rank, and honour.
Embroidered Silk Robe for the Dowager Empress (c. 1885-1908) by UnknownUniversity of Alberta Museums
Beyond artwork, Empress Dowager Cixi also favoured symbolic designs on her informal robes, also known as chenyi.
The patterns shown on Embroidered Silk Robe for the Dowager Empress — peonies and phoenixes — represent a high imperial position, alluding to Cixi’s potential ownership.
The peony motif on the robe includes lush and colourful blue, white, and purple blossoms with forked leaves. The popularity of the peony motif influenced fashion and art beyond the imperial court.
Blue Silk Tapestry Weave Surcoat for a Woman by UnknownUniversity of Alberta Museums
Harmonious Design Motifs on Textiles
In Chinese Culture, a value system promotes harmony and balance within all public and private spaces.Hierarchies of power, especially for social ranks, are part of this natural order and are expressed through specific symbols on different types of material culture.
In the Qing dynasty, textiles were especially imbued with symbols, some of which communicated the rank of the wearer or owner.
Phoenixes indicated a high-ranking member of the imperial court and were often paired with peonies, which represented good fortune, honour, richness, and springtime.
Two Silk Tapestry Weave Sleeve Bands Silk Tapestry Weave Sleeve Band by UnknownUniversity of Alberta Museums
Another panel, cropped from Silk Tapestry Weave Sleeve Band, illustrates children playing in a garden filled with peonies, peaches, and chrysanthemums. This composition also has fences and a river winding through, which reflect the defined space of the traditional garden.
Two Silk Tapestry Weave Sleeve Bands Two Silk Tapestry Weave Sleeve Bands by UnknownUniversity of Alberta Museums
This motif has many symbolic meanings: the peony represents honour and wealth, the peach and chrysanthemum signify longevity, and the children represent generational endurance.
Two Embroidered Blue Silk Sleeve Bands Embroidered Blue Silk Sleeve Band by UnknownUniversity of Alberta Museums
Embroidered Blue Silk Sleeve Bands
This pair of sleeve bands reflects traditional monochromatic ink painting, in which washes of black ink are diluted to create depth and tone.
Two Embroidered Blue Silk Sleeve Bands Two Embroidered Blue Silk Sleeve Bands by UnknownUniversity of Alberta Museums
The peony and butterfly patterns are embroidered in white and tones of grey silk floss, making the embroidery reflect a brushstroke painting effect. This tone-on-tone colour design, also named three-blue embroidery, was popular during the Qing dynasty.
Artisans of the Suzhou embroidery style created three-blue embroidery inspired by blue-and-white porcelain designs. They used tone-on-tone colours (not limited to blue) in satin stitches to create delicate embroidery artwork.
Album Leaf from Insects by UnknownUniversity of Alberta Museums
In this album leaf, from Insects album, we can see the butterfly and flower motif used in a scientific botanical painting.
While this album leaf was created to introduce foreign flora and insects to Western audiences, the Chinese artisans have still highlighted traditional symbolism.
Red Silk Gauze Robe for a Women (c. 1890) by UnknownUniversity of Alberta Museums
Peony Motifs for Daily Life
Outside the Forbidden City, imperial court fashion influenced textiles used and worn in the daily life of upper-class people.
The form and symbolism of the peony was also popular amongst the urban population, and artisans working outside of imperial workshops who capitalized on this by adding the motif to everyday objects.
Silk Tapestry Weave Table Frontal by UnknownUniversity of Alberta Museums
The influence of peonies also extended into domestic spaces, where peonies were both cultivated in decorated ceramic vases and applied as decoration on soft furnishings.
Framed Silk Tapestry Weave Panel by UnknownUniversity of Alberta Museums
Peonies in vases is also a popular design motif that contains a combined symbolic meaning of wealth and honour with peace and safety (fugui ping’an).
In this Framed Silk Tapestry Weave Panel, a central vase with three peony blossoms is highlighted, flanked by lotus blossoms in two vases, representing purity, and two floating treasure vases from the Eight Auspicious Buddhist symbols.
Embroidered Red Silk Robe for a Woman by UnknownUniversity of Alberta Museums
This late Qing garment demonstrates the commercialization of clothing at the end of the nineteenth century.
More of the urban population could afford to participate in fashion trends through garments made in commercial workshops, ribbons, and decorated sleeve bands, depending on their budget.
Album Leaf from Insects by UnknownUniversity of Alberta Museums
To read more about the symbolism on peonies in Chinese art and textiles, please visit: Peonies in Bloom
FAST FACT SOURCES:
“It’s Peony Time!: University of Illinois Extension.” 2019. Extension.illinois.edu. Accessed June 7, 2022. https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2019-04-30-its-peony-time.
“White Peony Root: Potential Benefits, Side Effects, Uses.” 2020. Healthline. Accessed June 7, 2022. https://www.healthline.com/health/white-peony-root#benefits-of-white-peony-root-plant.
