Secret Language of Flowers

Community Outreach Docent Art Talk — presented by Asian Art Museum

We all love the beauty and freshness of flowers, these gems of nature are very much a part of our lives. We present flowers for every occasion and every season, but do we know the meanings associated with each bloom? The Secret Language of Flowers in Asian Art is a beautiful and fascinating exploration of the symbolism conveyed by six iconic Asian flowers: the lotus, the plum blossom, the cherry blossom, the chrysanthemum, the rose, and the tulip. Since ancient times, flowers have been cultivated in gardens and highlighted in artworks, and the botanical properties of flowers have come to represent both human and divine qualities. Asian Art Museum docent Pauline Tsui will present a slideshow of artworks from the museum, and uncover the hidden language of flowers with focus on six specific flowers.

Join us for a slide presentation on Tuesday, June 26 at 6:00pm, El Cerrito Library, 6510 Stockton Ave., El Cerrito, CA 94530.

Japanese Furisode with floral motifs

Plate withTulip and Rose motifs,Turkey

Plum Blossom dish, Korea, 19th C Joseon dynasty

Lotus, painting by Yun Bing

Cherry Blossom, Japanese porcelain dish

Plum Blossom tray, China, 15th C Ming dynasty

Bio:

Pauline Tsui has been a docent and architectural guide for the San Francisco Asian Art Museum since 2003. She has a BA Degree in Practice of Art and French Literature at Mills College; spent a year in Paris at the National School of Fine Arts; and earned her AAS Degree in Fashion Design & Merchandising from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. Aside from being a docent, Pauline teaches Chinese brush painting, and dedicates her spare time writing and illustrating children’s storybooks.

Painting with Pauline