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18th century

Sixteen Flowers and Poems

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In an ancient Taoist tale, the peony, known as the "king of flowers," forced sixteen flowers of four seasons to bloom at the same time. The story inspired many artists to create an ideal world of flowers. This work shows the tree peony, peach, apricot, lotus, grape-myrtle, lily, chrysanthemum, hibiscus, and begonia.

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