Common Patterns and Their Cultural Symbolism in Folk Ceramics: The Three Friends of Winter
The pattern consists of pine, bamboo, and plum blossoms, or sometimes plum blossoms, bamboo, and rocks. The pine “endures the four seasons without changing its branches or leaves”; bamboo symbolizes nobility and moral integrity; the plum blossom fears neither wind, snow, nor harsh cold. Su Dongpo had a particular fondness for bamboo, once stating, “I would rather eat without meat than live without bamboo.” He also inscribed, “The plum blossom blooms proudly in the cold; bamboo, though slender, embodies longevity; rocks, though rugged, possess an innate elegance—these are the three beneficial friends.” The pine, bamboo, and plum are collectively known as the Three Friends of Winter, symbolizing the values of virtue and moral integrity in human conduct.
