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Art History Animalia
Art History Animalia
@art_history_animalia@historians.social  ·  activity timestamp 6 months ago
#Caturday 🐱:
Min Zhen (China, 1730–after 1788)
#Cat and #Butterfly, 1788
Album leaf, ink on paper; 29 x 18.4 cm
Cleveland Museum of Art 1985.71.5:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1985.71.5
#ChineseArt#CatsInArt
Rebus: “Cat and butterfly” = homophones for “mao die” 耄耋 (octogenarian) = wish for the artist’s friend to have a long life
“Six seals appearing on the leaves: Min Zhen 閔貞; Zheng zhai 正齋; Qingqiao 青橋; Zhen 貞; Liao tang 蓼塘; Min Zhen zhi yin 閔貞之印。”  “The album was painted for his friend Dailili Shanren in exchange for a scholar’s stone. The paintings demonstrate the artist’s versatility and mature style in the last years of his life. While two leaves are rendered in unconventional compositions seen from above (Cat and Butterfly CMA 1985.71.5) and below (Banana Plant CMA 1985.71.11), they have a humorous touch. “Cat and butterfly” is a homophone for the Chinese characters “mao die,” meaning “octogenarian,” and express the wish for the recipient’s longevity. The banana plant stands for the world of literati but can also allude to Buddhism.”  monochrome black & white (seals in red) cat is VERY fat and fluffy, fancy long-haired breed!
“Six seals appearing on the leaves: Min Zhen 閔貞; Zheng zhai 正齋; Qingqiao 青橋; Zhen 貞; Liao tang 蓼塘; Min Zhen zhi yin 閔貞之印。” “The album was painted for his friend Dailili Shanren in exchange for a scholar’s stone. The paintings demonstrate the artist’s versatility and mature style in the last years of his life. While two leaves are rendered in unconventional compositions seen from above (Cat and Butterfly CMA 1985.71.5) and below (Banana Plant CMA 1985.71.11), they have a humorous touch. “Cat and butterfly” is a homophone for the Chinese characters “mao die,” meaning “octogenarian,” and express the wish for the recipient’s longevity. The banana plant stands for the world of literati but can also allude to Buddhism.” monochrome black & white (seals in red) cat is VERY fat and fluffy, fancy long-haired breed!
“Six seals appearing on the leaves: Min Zhen 閔貞; Zheng zhai 正齋; Qingqiao 青橋; Zhen 貞; Liao tang 蓼塘; Min Zhen zhi yin 閔貞之印。” “The album was painted for his friend Dailili Shanren in exchange for a scholar’s stone. The paintings demonstrate the artist’s versatility and mature style in the last years of his life. While two leaves are rendered in unconventional compositions seen from above (Cat and Butterfly CMA 1985.71.5) and below (Banana Plant CMA 1985.71.11), they have a humorous touch. “Cat and butterfly” is a homophone for the Chinese characters “mao die,” meaning “octogenarian,” and express the wish for the recipient’s longevity. The banana plant stands for the world of literati but can also allude to Buddhism.” monochrome black & white (seals in red) cat is VERY fat and fluffy, fancy long-haired breed!
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