Plant Journeys blog post #5 – Peony: the problem of beauty

The Plant Journeys exhibition at Broughton House is a unique collection of plant-inspired Japanese objects. These were collected by ‘Glasgow Boy’, Edward Atkinson Hornel during his visits to Japan in 1894–5 and the 1920s. In this blog series, researcher Dr Minna Törmä delves into the same plants by season, uncovering their history of introduction into Europe, their deep-rooted meaning and significance in Eastern cultures, and what sets each one apart.

The blog’s subtitle, ’Peony: the problem of beauty’, takes inspiration from Ronald Egan's book of the same name. In Chinese culture, the admiration for the beauty of peony flowers has raised ethical concerns. Egan concisely explains the reasons behind this mixed sentiment:

‘The plant’s lush and enormous blossoms are both visually showy and aromatically alluring. What human associations it had were of the feminine, and the sensually and seductively feminine at that.’

[Ronald Egan, The Problem of Beauty: Aesthetic Thought and Pursuits in Northern Song Dynasty China (Cambridge MA and London: Harvard University Asia Center, 2006), p. 111.]

During the Song dynasty (960–1279), Chinese scholars praised the virtues of bamboo, plum, and chrysanthemum. However, they struggled to find the virtues in the captivating peony flower. Yet, Ouyang Xiu, a Confucian statesman, penned an account about the tree peonies of Luoyang in the 1030s. The peony was considered a hidden indulgence, but it was publicly showcased during the spring peony festival. Ouyang Xiu and his contemporaries would adorn peonies in their hair, partake in wine, and revel in the festivities. The print below, from the Edo period in Japan, vividly illustrates the popularity of peony displays.

The celebration of peonies has a long history in China, dating back to the Tang dynasty (618–907). They were introduced to European audiences through Chinese wallpapers. Peonies started appearing in gardens in the 19th century when they were brought to Europe from Japan and China. The tree peony Paeonia suffruticosa, also known as P. moutan in China, was found in Hornel's garden, and the Yokohama Nursery catalogue he acquired featured the different varieties of tree peony available from the Nursery. The garden at Broughton now showcases various peony varieties, such as P. lactiflora, the Chinese herbaceous peony.