Good Fortune and Longevity

The artist Cixi was an empress, and created this scroll of peony blossoms by applying graduated washes of color rather than drawing them as ink outlines. This is a hallmark of the mogu, or “boneless, ” method, which lends itself to conveying the delicacy and coloring of flower petals.

The peony has been hailed as the king of flowers in China for its majestic scale, fragrance, and literary associations. Its rich colors and abundance of petals have linked the peony to nobility and wealth. These associations, as well as the inscription of good fortune on this painting, would have made the artwork a prestigious and auspicious gift from Cixi to a relative or courtier.