The Mustard Seed Garden Painting Manual, Part 3, Vol. 1: Insects and Flowers

Original Language Title芥子園畫譜

Primary editor Wang Gai 王槩(編) (Chinese, active 1645 - 1707)

Date1679-1701

MediumWoodblock prints on paper

DimensionsOverall: 11 1/4 × 6 1/2 inches (28.58 × 16.51 cm)

Credit LinePurchase: William Rockhill Nelson Trust

Object number35-263/1

On View

Not on view

Collections

East Asian Art

Terms

DescriptionWoodblock prints on Korean paper in color and in monochrome. Volumes 1 and 2 are monochrome, flowers, insects and birds. Volumes 3 and 4 are polychrome.Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Denver Art Museum, 1939.

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 1942.

The Art of the Forbidden City, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, 1955.

Cultivating Nature: Printmaking for Painting in 17th Century China, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, August 14, 2010–February 6, 2011.

Flowers to Frost: Four Seasons in East Asian Art, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, July 18, 2015 - July 17, 2016.

Gallery Label

These printed books featuring a series of seasonal flowers are intended as a how-to guide for aspiring artists. However, this collaborative effort among leading painters, carvers and printers can be enjoyed as a work of art in its own right. Each image features elegant designs, fresh colors and expert technique. Over centuries, many species of flowers have become classic and honored subjects in Chinese art. They are rich in symbolic, poetic and art historical associations.

Provenance

Purchased through Laurence Sickman by The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, 1935.

Published References

Ch’iu A. K’ai-ming, “The Chieh Tzu Yuan Hua Chuan (Mustard Seed Garden painting Manual): Early editions in American collections” Archives of the Chinese Art Society of America, vol. 5 (1951), 55-69, fig.1. (repro.).

Sze Mai-mai, The Mustard Seed Garden Manual of Painting: Chieh Tzu Yuan Hua Chuan, 1679-1701, (Princeton University Press, 1977), 2. (repro.).

Information about a particular artwork or image, including provenance information, is based upon historic information and may not be currently accurate or complete. Research on artwork and images is an ongoing process, and the information about a particular artwork or image may not reflect the most current information available to the Museum. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about a particular artwork or image, please e-mail provenance@nelson-atkins.org.