By Lin Chun, Song Dynasty 

Originally designed for craftwork, flower-and-bird painting eventually established itself as an independent school in the Tang Dynasty. What's more, considered sublime and elegant by literati in ancient China, the so-called "four gentlemen" including plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum (mei, lan, zhu, ju) are the most welcomed subjects in Chinese flower-and-bird paintings.

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