The Three Friends of Winter is an art motif that comprises the pine, bamboo, and

plum A plum is a fruit of some species in ''Prunus'' subg. ''Prunus'.'' Dried plums are called prunes. History Plums may have been one of the first fruits domesticated by humans. Three of the most abundantly cultivated species are not found i ...

. . The Chinese celebrated the pine, bamboo and plum together, as they observed that these plants do not wither as the cold days deepen into the winter season unlike many other plants. Known by the Chinese as the ''Three Friends of Winter'', they later entered the conventions of East Asian culture and Vietnamese culture. Together they symbolize steadfastness, perseverance, and resilience. They are highly regarded in Confucianism and as such represent the scholar-gentleman's ideal.

History

The Three Friends of Winter are common in works of art from Chinese culture and those cultures influenced by it. The three are first recorded as appearing together in a ninth-century poem by the poet

Zhu Qingyu Zhu Qingyu (c. 797?–?) was a Chinese poet of the middle Tang dynasty. His birth name was Zhu Kejiu; ''Qingyu'' was his courtesy name. He received a ''Jinshi'' degree in the imperial examination in the mid-820s. Biography Zhu Kejiu was prob ...

() of the Tang dynasty. The

Southern Song dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...

artist Zhao Mengjian (, c. 1199–1264), among others of the time, made this grouping popular in painting. The actual term "Three Friends of Winter" can be traced back to the earliest known mention in literature, the ''Record of the Five-cloud Plum Cottage'' () from ''The Clear Mountain Collection'' () by the Song dynasty writer

Lin Jingxi Lin or LIN may refer to: People *Lin (surname) (normally ), a Chinese surname *Lin (surname) (normally 蔺), a Chinese surname * Lin (''The King of Fighters''), Chinese assassin character *Lin Chow Bang, character in Fat Pizza Places *Lin, Iran, ...

(, 1242–1310): . . Bian Wenjin, Three Friends and a Hundred Birds

In other places

The ''Three Friends of Winter'' as ''Sho Chiku Bai'' in Japanese (literally "pine, bamboo, plum") In Japan, they are particularly associated with the start of the New Year, appearing on greeting cards and as a design stamped into seasonal sweets.''Bamboo in Japan'' Nancy Moore Bess and Bibi Wein, Kodansha International 2001, p.170 Shōchikubai () is sometimes also used as a three-tier ranking system. In this context, the pine (matsu, ) usually is the highest rank, followed by bamboo (take, ) as the middle rank, and plum (ume, ) as the lowest. In a Korean poem by Kim Yuki (1580–1658), the three friends are brought together in order to underline the paradoxical contrast: In Vietnam, the three along with chrysanthemum create a combination of four trees and flowers usually seen in pictures and decorative items. The four also appear in works but mostly separately with the same symbolic significance. They are known as ''Tuế hàn tam hữu'' in Vietnamese.

References

{{reflist, 30em Chinese culture Chinese painting Japanese painting Chinese iconography Japanese iconography East Asian art Plants in art East Asian traditions

History

In other places

See also

References