| Quality | Width × Height (Pixel) | Download Link |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Quality | 892 × 1057 | Right click the image above to download |
| High Resolution | 2499 × 3047 | Google Drive |
| Original Art Quality | 4137 × 4890 | Google Drive |
Appreciating Antiquities In the Bamboo Garden – 500 Piece
The Appreciating Antiquities in the Bamboo Garden 500-piece velvet art puzzle captures the refined elegance of a classic Ming Dynasty scene. Made from premium imported blue card stock with a matte velvet-touch finish, it provides a smooth and luxurious tactile experience. A perfect blend of artistic charm and relaxing assembly.
Painter: Qiu Ying
The Appreciating Antiquities In the Bamboo Garden were created by the famous Ming Dynasty (around 1500s) painter Qiu Ying. The art work is now housed in the Palace Museum in Beijing, China.
Qiu Ying’s Appreciating Antiquities In the Bamboo Garden blends the characteristics of the Song and Ming dynasties, with both the elegant atmosphere of the Song Dynasty and the opulent material culture of the Ming Dynasty.
At that time, literati and scholars were fond of “meeting friends through literature”, and “elegant gatherings” were one of their most enthusiastic activities.
Many famous works that have been passed down through the ages were created during elegant gatherings, and this painting depicts the scene of Su Shi and a group of friends such as Mi Fu holding an elegant gathering and appreciating antiquities in the carefully arranged bamboo garden.
In this picture, Qiu Ying artfully arranged elegantly designed furniture, antiques, landscapes, and characters, with multiple cultural details hidden deep in the picture that can be savored carefully. The composition is balanced—dense yet never disorderly.
Let’s take a closer look below.
Intro of Appreciating Antiquities in the Bamboo Garden
In the upper right corner of the painting, there is an open space in a bamboo forest, where a square stone table is set up. The corners of the table are piled up with stones, full of natural charm, and is paired with three stone benches. On the table, a chessboard and chess piece jars are visited, one of which was held by the boy, perhaps preparing the game for his master.
Qiu Ying also hid several details of spring bamboo shoots in the bamboo yard, implying that it is currently spring, which is a good season of the year.
On the left side of the bamboo forest, there is a Taihu Lake Stone with exquisite shape. Under the Taihu Lake Stone, a crane can be faintly seen, as if observing in the dark. In Chinese culture, “stone” and “crane” symbolize longevity.
There are two small dogs playing on the right side. The picture has both movement and stillness, with the crane’s aloof grace and the dog’s liveliness, representing the elegant sentiment of literati hermits and the unavoidable warmth of ordinary life.
The “movement” of animals also contrasts with the “stillness” within the screen painting, making the design exquisite.
Further down, we can see a little boy squatting in front of the tea stove brewing tea fo his master.
A white porcelain disk was placed under the teapot, perhaps to evenly heat the tea and enhance its aroma, indicating the high demand of literati for tea drinking at that time.
On the table behind, there are several tea cups for serving tea, called “Douli Zhan 斗笠盏”.
In front of the furnace, there is also a piece of porcelain made of the same material.
Looking toward the center of the painting, two grand screen paintings naturally come into view. The entire layout of the garden is divided in half by these two screen paintings, creating a secluded and refined space for the guests.
The themes depicted on the screen paintings are birds perched on branches, and landscapes of mountains and rivers.
On the left one, two white-headed bulbuls perch on a flowering red branch, symbolizing “growing old together.”
On the right one is the scene of green mountains facing one another, with rivers flowing endlessly between them, two sailboats set sail down by the river, expressing the owner’s expectations for a bright future. Both scenes are rich in symbolism and aesthetic charm.
The scholar in the grey who sit in front of the blue clothed child on the right is Su Shi, and the scholar in the beige sitting alone on the rattan chair on the left is his friend Mi Fu.
On the left table, from left to right, there are dou(food vessel), three-legged round ding (tripod cauldron), jue (wine vessel), and flat hu (flask-shaped pot).
On the right table, there are four-legged square ding, zun (ritual vessel with four outward flanges), three-legged jue (wine vessel), three-legged round ding (tripod cauldron), gui (food container), classics and other objects placed one by one.
On the table in the lower left corner, there is a court musician-style qin (zither), a you (wine vessel with a handle), a cosmetic box with animal-shaped feet, and a yushang (winged cup).
Apart from those placed on the desktop, there are also a few bronze artifacts scattered on the ground.
In order to display these cultural relics and artifacts, there are also many tables of different sizes placed in the courtyard. Two of the slightly larger dark brown tables are paved with yellow felt and a layer of peony patterned satin, which is suitable to carry some fragile antiques, reflecting the owner’s delicate taste, and enriching the details of the picture.
In addition to the host and guests, the scene also depicts the maids and the little serve boys in detail. The boys are simply dressed and perform their respective duties. The maids were dressed delicately, serving tea to the owner of the house and his guests. Their dresses and hair accessories reflect the popular fashion style of the time, leaving valuable information for future research.
After appreciating this timeless painting, do you also have a better sense of the “elegance” of ancient Chinese literati?
If you also love this masterpiece, you might like to check out Ber’s high-definition, high-quality puzzle. We use blue-core cardboard imported from the Netherlands, paired with delicate matte velvet laminate finish. The pieces are sturdy and resistant to bending, with excellent hand feel. It can give you a relaxing and stress-relieving experience. When finished the puzzle, it can also add a touch of classical charm to your home.
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