Wordless Wednesday: Tea Time and Two Birds

A symbol of courage in Chinese art, the quail is usually depicted in pairs, according to author Richard J. Smith: "Combinations of two of the same symbol often indicated conjugal affection or friendship, but such paintings also reflected ying-yang juxtapositions, aesthetic patterns in which one element was clearly "superior" to the other. Quail were almost invariably depicted in pairs, one with its head turned upward (yin) and the other with its head facing the ground (yang)....The positioning reflected a long-standing aesthetic of unequal balance."

Wordless Wednesday