I had such a fun time slowing down and looking closely during this gallery exercise that it took me a whole 15 minutes to draw these simple lines. I was looking at a porcelain plate from early 18th century China, decorated with magnolia and peonies.
I learned that the peony is the flower of wealth and rank. When combined with a cat (symbolizing age 70) and a butterfly (symbolizing age 80) as seen here, the message is: May you live long and prosper! Who knew?
- Hannah