abundance
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Sun in heaven.
Abundance in great measure.
Supreme success
In the midst of impermanence.
The midday sun in summer is the hottest and brightest of all. It
symbolizes a zenith, a fulfillment, a period of great brightness. In
the affairs of people, it stands for the combining of strength and
clarity, which yields brilliance. When the times are in accord,
abundance cannot be opposed.
The period of abundance is a time for vigorous action. Bright light
shines not only on the good but on the bad as well. Therefore, when
evil is revealed, all good people must oppose it. Pluck in out by the
roots and energetically promote the good.
Abundance is a cause for celebration, but followers of Tao also
remember to be cautious. No zenith can be preserved forever. In fact,
the time of abundance just precedes an inevitable path of decline.
Nothing in life is permanent. Therefore, the wise person enjoys and is
gladdened by abundance. But while they take advantage of the time, they
also prepare for what will follow.
abundance
365 Tao
daily meditations
Deng Ming-Dao (author)
ISBN 0-06-250223-9
Vase, Qing dynasty,
Kangxi period (1662–1722), late 17th–early 18th century
China
Porcelain painted in overglaze famille verte enamels and gold; H. 18
in. (45.7 cm)
Bequest of John D. Rockefeller Jr., 1960 (61.200.66)
Description
The possibilities of painting porcelains with colored enamels, which
were so successfully developed during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644),
were exploited to the fullest in the Qing period (1644–1911). The
authority with which Qing artisans used essentially the same low-fired
enamels employed by their predecessors resulted in polychrome-decorated
porcelains that outshine all others. The stellar polychrome decoration
of the Kangxi period (1662–1722), the famille verte palette of enamels,
takes its name from the several distinctive shades of green that are
almost invariably present in the color scheme. Famille verte enamels
are brightly colored and translucent; they have been applied rather
thickly over darker outlines and details.
In addition to the various greens, the famille verte colors include
yellow, aubergine, coral-toned iron red (rather flat and almost
opaque), white (achieved by allowing the pure body to show through a
clear enamel), and black (a composite of matte, brownish black pigment
covered with green, aubergine, or clear enamel). The blue enamel in
this assortment of colors is different from the Ming dynasty
turquoise-tinted blue enamel; it is more violet or royal blue in tone.
Like their Ming antecedents, these translucent famille verte
enamels—appropriately named "hard colors" (yingcai) by the Chinese—did
not permit much gradation, and the effects of shading had to be
relegated to finely penciled lines in the preliminary drawing. When
used over the glaze, the famille verte enamels stand radiant and clear
against the white ground that forms an integral part of the
composition. In addition to being used with the usual overglaze blue
enamel of the palette, overglaze famille verte enamels are sometimes
found in conjunction with underglaze cobalt-blue painting, and
occasionally both underglaze and overglaze blue have been used on the
same object. Touches of gilt were often added to this group, providing
an especially lively accent.
The designer's imagination has seldom been more vivid or extensive than
on these sumptuous porcelains; they offer a galaxy of motifs handled in
an almost infinite variety. One of the most noteworthy examples in the
Museum's collection is this beaker-shaped vase, painted in a lively
spirit and depicting birds, rocks, and figures.
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