3-002-670 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Cabbages and Butterflies, 15th-16th century. In China, the butterfly can be a symbol of happiness in marriage. This comes from a story told by the Daoist philosopher Zhuangzi [Chuang-tzu] in which a young student chases a butterfly into the garden of a retired official. There, he sees the official's daughter and is so taken with her beauty and charm that he vows to dedicate himself to his work so that he may one day marry her. His hard work not only wins him his bride but also results in his obtaining a high-ranking position.