(Peonies of) Wealth and Prosperity in a Pot,  Emperor Xuanzong (1399-1435), Ming dynasty. Hanging scroll, ink and colors on paper, 110.5 x 54.4 cm.

According to its inscription, this painting was done in the fourth year of Xuanzong's reign (1429) for the high official Yang Shiqi (1365-1444). The cat here looks up with curiosity at the peonies arranged in the hanging bronze pot, as if about to find a way to leap up and get a closer look. The traditional word for cat in Chinese is a homophone for octogenarian and therefore a blessing for longevity, while the peony is an age-old symbol of wealth and prosperity. The brushwork for rendering the cat is here delicate and exceptionally refined. The three peony blossoms arranged in the flowerpot, with shades of green leaves in the middle, overhang from the rim for a sense of overflowing abundance. Also on the ground is a three-legged washbasin, a classical form produced at the imperial kilns in the early Ming dynasty.

Text and images are provided by National Palace Museum