Initiator and literature review: Zhang Yuling
Participated artists: Ru Xiaofan, Tan Bin, Zeng Xiaoyu
The programme aims to explore the material memory and psycological memory of peony in Chinese people’s mind through the presentation of peony’s vegetal life, literary life and social life on textiles.
Peony has been planted in China for over 1,500 years since the period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties (425-589), when “there are many peonies among bamboos by water in Yong Jia”. Beginning with the period when peony was first discovered and recorded, its image has been standing for many things, including the power class, the nationality and everyday life. All these can help us study the symbolic meaning of a symbol in different historical periods.
Peony is called mudan in Chinese. “Mu” means male animals like birds or staminiferous plants while “dan” means red. In Bencao gangmu [Compendium of materia medica], medical expert Li Shizhen (1518-1593), wrote: “Though mudan can set seeds, the seedling of it can grow directly from its roots (vegetative propagation). Thus it’s called mu. The color of mudan’s flower is red so it’s called dan.” Actually, the appearance of the name mudan symbolizes the beginning of the culture of it.
According to Shennong baicai jing [Shengnong's herbal classic], “Mudan tastes pungent and cold and can also be called lujiu or shugu, growing in valleys.” In a tomb of early Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220) discovered in Wuwei County, Gansu Province, ten medical documents were found, recording the use of Peony to treat blood stasis. Peony was grown in courts, temples, rich farmyards and folk areas in Tang Dynasty (618-907). The earliest image of peony in painting was Luoshen fu tu [the Goddess of the Luo River] created by Gu Kaizhi (348-409). Because of the appearance, spirit and temperament of peony, it was mostly described as dazzling beauty in traditional poems, calligraphies and paintings. In Tang Dynasty, famous poet Liu Yuxi (772-842) once praised peony greatly in his poem “Admiration of Peony”: “Wild peonies grow with exuberant colours/Pond lotuses are pure and free of passions/ Only red peonies epitomize the essence of beauty/ Whose blooming presence decorates the capital city.” We can also see images of peony on imperial handicrafts or ornaments made by silks and brocades. In Song Dynasty (960-1279), the cultivation centre of peony moved from Chang’an to Luoyang with more systematic and thorough cultivation techniques. As a result, the study of peony was improved a lot with a number of theory masterpieces appearing, like “Luoyang mudan ji” [Notes on the peonies of Luoyang] by Ouyang Xiu (1007-1072). The application of peony on Chinese brocades peaked in Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1683, 1636-1912) because it started to be used in imperial dresses. When it was closer to our modern life, peony became a symbol of “Made in China”. In our daily life nowadays, the image of peony becomes a national one woven on different kinds of textiles and representing various periods of our life.
