Was first in the Chinese Imperial Palace (Late 15th Century) in Beijing, China Ming
Then it was in a Private Collections in China with diffrent collectors (century unknown)
Finally it was sent to Metropolitan Museum of Art (2005–Present)
Created in the late 15th century form (1467 -1499) during the Ming dynasty, the Mandarin Ducks and Cotton Rose Hibiscus is a hanging scroll painted on silk with ink and colors. The painting is an excellent example of the “bird-and-flower” genre (huniao hua), popular in the courts of the Ming dynasty. It was created by the artist Lu Ji, who worked in the Hongzhi era (1488-1505) and combined the fine-line drawing technique (gongbi) and naturalistic rendering of texture for the composition’s amazing precision and liveliness of detail. The work had been painted after the specific request of the Ming dynasty’s Emperor, giving the picture a standard for the period symbolic meaning. The lower part of the scroll is dominated by two mandarin ducks on the rocky bank beside the stream. The male duck is colorful and detailed, while the female duck is depicted in a calmer manner, being next to her partner. Above the couple, large cotton rose hibiscus’ branches loom over the stream, creating shade with their thick pink and white petals, contrasting with dark green leaves and coarse bark of the trees behind them. However, besides the exquisite techniques and beautiful scenery, the painting has a deep symbolic meaning. Following the symbolic tradition of the Chinese art, ducks symbolize love and marital affection, being one of the most common animals in the Chinese poetry and art. Thus, the picture was meant to bring longevity, happiness, and harmony to the Emperor’s marriage. Mandarin ducks symbolize the lasting love between a married couple, while mufurong (cotton rose hibiscus) means wealth and prosperity. Stream and rocks at the bottom of the painting have the same meaning, symbolizing the solidity of the couple’s union. Nowadays, the painting is stored at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it serves as a reminder of the high artistic standards of the Ming dynasty court artists.
Going beyond its aesthetic value, the artwork is a deeper foray into the psyche of the Emperor who acted as its patron and the artist who ultimately created it. The Emperor, from a position of power, still intends to have a long, happy, stable and harmonious marital life --- as in all likelihood, he saw it as a partnership to anchor him while he navigated the high points and times of adversity during his reign. Therefore, the rock (for stability), the trees (for longevity), the wooden bark (for resilience), the branches (for children, possibly), the leaves and flowers (for abundance & prosperity), the Mandarin ducks (for lifelong loyalty and affection) --- basically, contrast complementing coexistence.
However, as per my interpretation, the artist shows his finesse in how he incorporates multiple elements of nature that we often overlook, yet they hold immense symbolic value - rocks teaching us to stay strong yet change forms while weathering the passage of time, the cotton rose hibiscus flowers teaching us to bloom come what may for as long as we can and spread fragrance and add colour to our loved ones' lives, while staying rooted in our values and grounded in our realities.
