Presenting the Osmanthus Flower in Autumn

A popular genre in court painting depicted royal succession in the imperial era. The first-born son was the legal heir to the throne, while girls could inherit only noble titles. This painting, inspired by an original work by court official Yu Ji (1738–1823), conveys a patriarchal wish to forever inherit title and dignity. The theme of succession is directly shown in the action: a middle-aged lady handing over a branch of osmanthus (guihua) blossoms to a young girl. The Chinese word gui refers to the tree and is also a pun for aristocrat and wealth. Deep in the background, an old, elaborately twisted gui tree reinforces these themes.

Each figure wears a phoenix hairpin with a long string of beads dangling from her stylish hairdo, a traditional headdress of noblewomen. The inner red robe, partially exposed from the lady’s outer coat, was considered a sign of the upper class. Behind them a servant holds a whisk, a symbolic attribute held by the Chinese bodhisattva Guanyin, hinting at her ladyship’s daily Buddhist practice.