Yang Guifei 1765

Komatsuya Hyakki created this woodblock print, "Yang Guifei," in eighteenth-century Japan. Here, we see Yang Guifei, the concubine of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang dynasty China, reclining languidly. The peacock feathers are symbols of beauty and dignity, attributes associated with Yang Guifei's status as imperial consort. Notice how peacock feathers appear in different eras and cultures, often linked to notions of pride. Think of Juno, in Roman art, whose chariot is pulled by peacocks. In a cyclical twist, the peacock’s symbolic association with royalty and beauty transcends time. Consider the deep-seated human fascination with beauty and power. The allure of the exotic, represented by the peacock, engages the viewer on a subconscious level, tapping into primal desires and fears. These symbols, charged with meaning, speak across centuries, their echoes resonating in our collective memory.