Cats and Butterflies

This work exemplifies a popular style of Ming painting developed from techniques established in the Song dynasty by imperial court artist Li Di (active 12th c.) (fig. 1). The plump contours of the cats' bodies are evoked with diffuse colour washes, and their soft-textured fur is then meticulously rendered in painstaking brushwork. The pairing of cats and butterflies is a pun that wishes the viewer or recipient of the painting a long life, as cats and butterflies, maodie, is a rebus for a venerable and elderly person.