Chinese Flower Arrangement , \ll'SEt \1 ()F l'I~r:. RI:--'. B()SJ'():'\ ./ SPRING ARRANGEMENTS Colored Imodblock prinl b,' Ting Liang-t1Sien, 17th C('n!llrY (\IOlltan Peo'm', Iris, '\arcissus, Camellia), by H. L. Li D. VAN NOSTRAND COMPANY, INC. PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY TORONTo LONDON NEW YORK D. VAN NOSTRAND COMPANY, INC. 120 Alexander St., Princeton, New Jersey (Principal officI 257 Fourth Avenue, New York 10, New York D. VAN NOSTRAND COMPANY, LTD. 358, Kensington High Street, London, W.14, England D. VAN NOSTRAND~fO~ANY (fanada), LTD. 25 Hollinger Road, Toronto 16, Canada COPYRIGHT © 1956, 1959, BY D. VAN NOSTRAND COMPANY, INC. Published simultaneously in Canada by D. VAN NOSTRAND COMPANY (Canada), LTD. / Library of Congress Catalogue Card No. 59·15100 No reproduction in any form of this book, in whole or in part (except for brief quotation in critical articles or reviews), lIIay b~ lIIade without written authorization from the publishers. o..ec.. rtO. , PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Contents , About Chinese Floral Arts and This Book XIU Chapter I Influences Producing the Chinese Style II Hsieh Ho's Six Canons 11 III Design and Composition 17 IV Selective Association and Mechanics 26 V Symbolism in Flowers 31 VI Flowers and Plants for Arrangements 41 VII Table Landscapes .'. 58 VIII Plants for Table Decoration 63 IX Vases, Pots and Tr.ays 75 X Rocks and Gtlyer Accessories ..... ' 91 XI Enjoyment of Flowers .. 95 Appendix I A Treatise of Vase Flowers by Chang Ch'ien-te .... ; . .101 II A List of Common Chi'!lese Flowers. .109 I III Chinese Dynasties ... ......... 115 Bibliography ... fI . . I J 7 Index - I 119 .~ Illustrations Frontispiece: Spring arrangements from an old print PLATEs-Historic works FOLLOWING PAGE 1. The tribute bearer . 16 2. Flowers and table decorations. 16 _3.. Plant arrangements on Ming porcelains 16 4. Arrangements of flowers and fruits 16 ._5. .. Summer arrangements 48 6. Autumn arrangements. 48 7. Winter arrangements 48 8. Plants of auspicious omens 48 9. A birthday basket . 64 10·11. The four seasons on silk tapestry 64 12. Purple orchid and rock 64 13. Crab·apple in a glass vase ' . ' 80 14. Spring decorations . 80 15. New Year's decorations 80 16. An arrangement of fruits 80 17. Blue and white vases of the Ming dynasty 96 18c19. Flower baskets of the four -seasons 96 20. Interior decorations. 96 PLATEs-Modern photographs I 1. Chinese house 8 . 1 II. Japanese House 8 III. Table plants j 8 IV. A wooden flower stand 8 V. Book and curio shelf~.. .! 8 I VI. Table landscape and flower arrangements 8 VII. Viburnum and roses . J 56 VIII. Lilac 56 Ix." Bleeding·heart and maple 56 X. Snow· berry 56 Xl ILLUSTRATIONS \ , PLATEs-Modern photographs FOLLOWING PAGE XI. Ling-chih Fungus . '88 XII. Bulb bowls and flower pots of the Sung dynasty 88 XIII. Flower baskets 88' XIV. Blue and white vases of the Ming dynasty 88 XV. Accessories for flower arrangement. 88 XVI. Carved jade mountain 88 TEXT FIGURES PAGE 1. Typical line elements for arrangement 18 2. Arrangements of two twigs . 20 3. Arrangements of two twigs of unequal size 22 4. Arrangements of three twigs 22 5. Arrangements of five twigs 23 6. Twigs with three or five branches 23 7. Typ,es of Sung vases patterned after ancient ritual vessels 81 8. Types of Sung and Ming vases derived from ancient ritual vessels 83 9. Types of conventional Ming and Ch'ing vases 85 10. Special types of Ming and Ch'ing vases 87 11. Types of flower pots and bulb bowls ,8 9 xu