Width: 9.5cms
BH84
Provenance
Major Edward Copleston Radcliffe (1898-1967) collection and listed in the family archive, 'H15', as purchased from Sotheby's in 1937, for £2-0s-0dLiterature
The flowers illustrate the four seasons: peony for spring, lotus for summer, chrysanthemum for autumn, and prunus (or plum blossoms) for winter.Flowers, animals, and other scenes from nature are among the most "universal symbols" in Chinese porcelain decoration. Here the flowers are chosen to represent each season conveying the passage of time.
Other motifs from nature representing the seasons; tree peonies and pheasants herald the coming of spring, kingfishers hovering over lotus ponds mark summer, chrysanthemums and hibiscus are associated with autumn, and magpies on a blooming prunus tree symbolise winter. Another classic pattern often found on blue and white porcelain and known as the Three Friends of Winter is pine, prunus and bamboo because of their ability to thrive even in the harshness of winter, showing steadfastness, perseverance, and resilience. They stood as symbols of hope and determination in the face of adversity.
