Nineteenth Century Illustrated Guide to Chinese Floral Arrangement.

Item Number: 141567

[Osaka]:, c. 1800s.

Rare 19th century illustrated work on the art of Chinese floral arrangement. Octavo, bound in contemporary wrappers, illustrated with over 100 black and white woodblock prints of various arrangements of plants and flowers in vases. In very good condition.

Asian flower arranging originated in ancient China as far back as 207 BCE to 220 CE in the Han era of ancient China. Flowers were an integral component of religious teaching and medicine. Practitioners of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism placed cut flowers on their altars, a practice which dates back to 618-906 CE. They created paintings, carvings, and embroidered items with depictions of flowers. The paintings can be found on vases, plates, scrolls, and silk, while carvings were done on wood, bronze, jade and ivory. Buddhist teachings forbade the taking of a life, so religious practitioners worked sparingly when taking cuttings from plants. Flowers and leaves that were used to make basket arrangements were selected based on their symbolic meaning. For example, the bamboo, the peach tree, and the pear tree symbolized longevity. The tiger lily, the pomegranate, and the orchid symbolized fertility. The most honored of all flowers was the peony. Considered the “king of flowers”, it symbolized wealth, good fortune, and high status.