Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Chinese Flower Arrangement
    Chinese Flower Arrangement
    Chinese Flower Arrangement
    Ebook256 pages1 hour

    Chinese Flower Arrangement

    By H. L. Li

    5/5

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Lavishly illustrated history of Chinese floral art provides practical suggestions for applying traditional methods to modern settings. Features include: selecting flowers for symbolic qualities and beauty, complementing an arrangement with an appropriate vase and accessories, plus 42 illustrations that span centuries of Chinese paintings, prints, tapestries, porcelains.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDover Publications
    Release dateOct 9, 2012
    ISBN9780486169026
    Chinese Flower Arrangement

    Related to Chinese Flower Arrangement

    Related ebooks

    Crafts & Hobbies For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Time Will Tell

      May 4, 2021

      Time Will Tell
      8 min read

    • Article

      Sofu Teshigahara

      Mar 1, 2020

      Sofu Teshigahara
      2 min read

    • Article

      Jun Kaneko

      Nov 1, 2019

      Jun Kaneko
      5 min read

    • Article

      Choosing The Right Vase

      Jul 21, 2020

      Choosing The Right Vase
      1 min read

    • Article

      Two views: Japanese Kōgei

      Aug 1, 2017

      Two views: Japanese Kōgei
      3 min read

    • Article

      Peace of Mind

      May 18, 2023

      Chinese philosophy has produced a unique world of music, art and literature that never ceases to astonish audiences with its simplicity and tranquility, rendering Chinese art little known to the rest of the world—unfairly so. I worked in the arts for

      2 min read

    • Article

      Flower Power

      Oct 20, 2022

      A huge flower basket duly appeared at Tiananmen Square, Beijing, on September 25, six days before China celebrated its National Day. The flower basket has been part of the country’s National Day celebrations since 1986. The basket of bright-colored s

      4 min read

    • Article

      Grand Flora

      Feb 8, 2022

      Grand Flora
      3 min read

    • Article

      An Intelligent Linkage

      Feb 1, 2023

      An Intelligent Linkage
      4 min read

    • Article

      More Than Just Flowers

      Jan 23, 2021

      More Than Just Flowers
      5 min read

    • Article

      Rong Jiang's Floriated Zisha Teapots

      Apr 7, 2020

      Rong Jiang's Floriated Zisha Teapots
      11 min read

    • Article

      The Allure Of The East

      Oct 7, 2021

      The Allure Of The East
      2 min read

    • Article

      The Twelve Immortals of Flowers in Chinese Ceramics

      Apr 7, 2020

      Produced from the Royal Kilns, a series of ceramic cups glaze-painted with the Immortals of Flowers (Figure 1) has gained in popularity since the early Qing Dynasty (1612-1912) partly due to the renewed interest in the Imperial period. During the era

      6 min read

    • Article

      Japanese Art Of Nature

      Aug 7, 2019

      Japanese Art Of Nature
      3 min read

    • Article

      Taos Romantics and Moderns

      May 1, 2023

      Taos Romantics and Moderns
      4 min read

    • Article

      Flower Power

      Jun 15, 2022

      Flower Power
      3 min read

    • Article

      Unleash the Dragon

      Mar 31, 2022

      Unleash the Dragon
      4 min read

    • Article

      The Way Of Flowers

      Nov 22, 2022

      The Way Of Flowers
      4 min read

    • Article

      Glory In The Flower

      Jul 1, 2022

      Glory In The Flower
      6 min read

    • Article

      A Friend

      Jul 1, 2018

      To be honest, I am always reluctant to read any article with the word “identity” in its title, let alone a magazine featuring the theme. Normally, I would throw it into the trash bin for sure. I would also throw all the artists, art critics and theor

      3 min read

    • Article

      Reducing Dharma to Exotic Art

      May 7, 2019

      Reducing Dharma to Exotic Art
      7 min read

    • Article

      New York State of Mind

      Mar 6, 2020

      New York State of Mind
      5 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Chinese Flower Arrangement

    5/5

    1 rating0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Chinese Flower Arrangement - H. L. Li

      MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, BOSTON.

      SPRING ARRANGEMENTS

      Colored woodblock print by Ting Liang-hsien, 17th century

      (Moutan Peony, Iris, Narcissus, Camellia).

      Bibliographical Note

      This Dover edition, published by Dover Publications, Inc., in 2002, is an unabridged republication of the work published by D. Van Nostrand Company, Inc., New York, 1959. The color frontispiece has been reproduced in black-and-white for this edition.

      Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

      Li, Hui-Lin, 1911-

      Chinese flower arrangements / H.L. Li.

      p. cm.

      Originally published: Princeton N.J. : Van Nostrand, 1959.

      Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.

      9780486169026

      1. Flower arrangement, Chinese. I. Title.

      SB450.7 .L56 2002

      745.92’51—dc21

      2002067531

      Manufactured in the United States of America

      Dover Publications, Inc., 31 East 2nd Street, Mineola, N.Y 11501

      Table of Contents

      Title Page

      Copyright Page

      Table of Figures

      About Chinese Floral Arts and This Book

      I - Influences Producing the Chinese Style

      II - Hsieh Ho’s Six Canons

      III - Design and Composition

      IV - Selective Association and Mechanics

      V - Symbolism in Flowers

      VI - Flowers and Plants for Arrangement

      VII - Table Landscapes

      VIII - Plants for Table Decoration

      IX - Vases, Pots and Trays

      X - Rocks and Other Accessories

      XI - Enjoyment of Flowers,

      Appendix I - A Treatise of Vase Flowers by Chang Ch’ien-tê

      Appendix II - A List of Common Chinese Flowers,

      Appendix III - Chinese Dynasties

      Bibliography

      Index

      Table of Figures

      Fig. 1

      Fig. 2

      Fig. 3

      Fig. 4

      Fig. 5

      Fig. 6

      Fig. 7

      Fig. 8

      Fig. 9

      Fig. 10

      Fig. 11

      About Chinese Floral Arts and This Book

      MUCH HAS BEEN WRITTEN in recent years on the art of flower arrangement as practiced in Japan, but very little on the floral art of China. Japanese flower arrangement had its origin in China, though through the centuries it has developed into a highly specialized branch of art by itself, quite distinct from its Chinese prototype. Its general principles, however, are still traceable to the basic canons of Chinese paintings, which are also the source of garden and floral arts in China.

      There are distinct as well as subtle differences between the floral art of China and that of Japan. These are generally overlooked and there is a mistaken belief to many uninformed that the floral art in the Orient is the same in one country and the other. The floral art of China is in general less restrained and more colorful than that of Japan. The compositions are gay and life-like, while the serious and melancholy, as well as highly artificial arrangements practiced by some Japanese schools are not popular.

      In China, floral arrangement is considered as an integral part of interior decoration, to be exhibited in harmony with one’s everyday surroundings and not as an aloof and distinct cult. Although in floral art, as in painting and other forms of art, the Chinese have fallen into conventional patterns in more recent times, they, nevertheless, have not vested it deeply in formal rituals and rigid rules as the Japanese. In a way, the tendencies in the practice of these arts reflect the national characters of the two people.

      There is also a certain randomness in the enjoyment of flowers and flower arrangements today. In China, on the other hand, much emphasis is placed on selectivity in the appreciation of flowers. Merits and virtues of the different flowers are carefully evaluated and the flowers graded according to relative standings. There are a few especially noble or charming ones that receive universal acclaim and become significant emblems. Others are noted for certain special qualities or for distinct beauty or for symbolism. Most flowers are enjoyed with definite sentiments and in complete harmony with the surroundings and background, all in keeping and enhance the artistic effect. Symbolism is of the greatest importance in Chinese flower arrangement. Another feature, and a special achievement, of Chinese flower arrangement is the distinct and discriminate selection of different flowers in association with different types of containers and accessories as well as other table decorations.

      On purely aesthetic grounds, according to the Chinese tradition, besides the admiration of the beauty and elegance of a well-designed flower arrangement, emphasis is laid on the appreciation of the finer points of line and balance. A skillfully executed arrangement is equivalent to a composition in a painting, with the principles of design and balance carried out to perfection.

      This work is an attempt to summarize the essentials of the art of floral decoration in China in the form of table culture and vase arrangement. The origins and underlying principles, as well as practical methods of preparing these according to the classical style, are given.

      A very distinct contribution made by China toward the floral art is the highly developed craft of porcelain manufacturing. For centuries, the world looked toward China for the best pieces in flower vases. Chinese vases are now well represented in museums and private collections all over the world. It is possible for everyone interested in flower arrangements to study historical and modern Chinese wares in the leading museums in America and Europe. For this reason the account given here pertaining to the various types of classical flower vases in China is rendered in some detail with the hope that it may be of help to the interested flower arranger.

      This book has been produced by incorporating my botanical vocation with my avocational studies on the history of Chinese art. I am indebted for this work to the city of Soochow in eastern China in which I was born and raised. Soochow is a city renowned for its culture, scenery, arts, and handicrafts. The city was once the center of the silk industry in China, and was and still is the metropolis of a prosperous agricultural country. It has, in the past five centuries or more, produced more famous scholars and artists than any other city in China.

      In garden and floral art, Soochow was and still is one of the most important centers in the country. Numerous rock gardens of the classical style are found in and out of the city, some dating back to the Ming dynasty, being the oldest of its kind still preserved to the present. In more recent times, it has became the center of culture of many important flowers, such as Cymbidium Orchids, Moutan Peony, and Chrysanthemum. Many works on horticulture and the best works on flower arrangement have been written by authors formerly residing in this area.

      I have found that besides the very extensive literature on horticulture in China there are numerous things, steeped in the lore of past ages, and considered generally as a matter of common knowledge, that the printed word frequently neglects and that tradition supplies instead. This work is thus written as a tribute to past masters and connoisseurs of floral arts, whose skill and knowledge have nurtured in me and in many others a lasting appreciation of the beauty and charm of flowers and flower arrangements. It is also written in memory of the artistic atmosphere of Soochow, which is rapidly diminishing in these changing days of history.

      For the sake of authenticity and to exemplify certain historical aspects of the subject, many illustrations are derived from original paintings, woodblock prints, porcelains, and tapestries of the past from the 12th century down to the 18th century. For these illustrations, (Plates 1-20), I am indebted to the following persons for their kind assistance, and to the museums for permission to reproduce photographs of their treasures: Margaret Gentles, Chicago Institute of Art; Basil Gray, British Museum; Jean Gordon Lee, Philadelphia Museum of Art; André Luce, Fogg Museum of Art, Harvard University; Robert T. Paine, Jr., Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; and John A. Pope, Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution. (Modern illustrations are Plates I-XVI.)

      I must express my most sincere thanks and appreciation to Miss Jean Gordon Lee and Miss Mabel Steele Jones for their helpful opinions and constructive criticisms. Their generous counsel has materially improved the contents of this text. To my wife, Chih-Ying Li, I am indebted for her assistance as well as patience and understanding, without which this book would not have been initiated and would certainly not have been completed.

      H. L. Li

      PHILADELPHIA, PA.

      I

      Influences Producing the Chinese Style

      THE FLOWER AND GARDEN ARTS of China, like Chinese painting and music, like Chinese poetry and philosophy, are expressions of the artistic and literary genius of the people, an aspect of Chinese culture. According to the basic concept of Chinese philosophy, man is conceived as only one of the manifestations of nature and he is designed eventually to return to the cosmic element. This basic feeling of harmony, with nature, furthered by the introduction of Buddhism from India in the first centuries after Christ, has become the dominant force in Chinese culture and history.

      Because of the universal love of natural scenery and beautiful plants, ornamental gardening in China has largely developed along the line of idealization of natural scenery. Nature in the Orient is remembered in its entirety, the hills and streams as well as the trees and blossoms. Thus gardening becomes an effort to bring mountains and lakes to one’s own courtyard by arranging rocks and trees and water to suggest an image of nature. In the quiet seclusion of these gardens, a man can repose in peace, contemplating the diverse moods of nature, and be inspired by its beauty and serenity. And by identifying himself with the cosmos, he can find new strength and happiness.

      This naturalistic pattern of the Chinese garden has become the traditional style and remains to this day. Limitation of space imposed upon the average Chinese garden is apparently responsible in part for this trend.

      Naturally, not every Chinese home could boast of a garden, yet the universal and intense appreciation of natural beauty has made it desirable that every home have some sort of planted area. Those who have limited means make their own small courtyard a miniature landscape. A few trees, artistically arranged with some shrubs and flowers, bring nature to the doorway of nearly every house. Thus developed the miniature courtyard gardens.

      This tendency is carried further into the development of table plants or dish gardening and flower arrangement, designed primarily for interior decoration. It is a real and final effort to integrate nature with the daily life of every household desirous of having such an enjoyment.

      The culture of table plants is collectively called in China P’en-tsai, meaning pot or tray culture, or P’en-ching, meaning tray landscape or scenes in vessels. Introduced into Japan, the former becomes Bon-sai in Japanese pronunciation, and the latter Bon-kei, terms now better known to the western world than their Chinese prototypes.

      Development of Floral Art

      The exact origin of the art of tray gardening in China is not known. The art was evidently already quite

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1