A Maidservant

Curious about the hidden connections in Tang Dynasty art? 

In Adorning with Flowers, the serene palace maids are surrounded by symbols that hint at a broader narrative. The painting subtly links the ladies with the garden’s flowers, a small dog, and even a butterfly. This depiction mirrors the blossoming genre of Tang flower-and-bird art, showcasing a shared solitude and elegance. Recent archaeological finds, like the engravings on Princess Yongtai’s stone coffin, reveal how these motifs—flowers, birds, and courtly figures—intertwine to reflect the isolation and beauty of palace life.

Tang Dynasty (618-907) Stone Carving. Height 132cm. Stone Coffin Carving in tomb of Princess Yongtai, Qianxian county, Shanxi Province.

This piece is compiled from the Chinese edition of Three Thousand Years of Chinese Painting by Foreign Languages Press and Yale University Press, translated by Chen Ying.