At right: Chinese Beauty, Utagawa Toyonaga, early 19th century. Notice the two large peonies in the foreground. The painter might have had Yang Guifei in mind, though we cannot be sure.

Below: Allegory of Zhuang Zi’s Dream of a Butterfly. Notice the peony on the desk. The image is based on a well-known (to people of the time) story from the Chinese Daoist classic Zhuangzi, in which Zhuangzi dreams he has become a butterfly. Here, of course, a beautiful woman takes Zhuangzi's place. The peony in full bloom adds an erotic dimension to the image.  #Click here# for the brief text of the story.