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In the 18th century, during the reigns of Emperors Yongzheng and Qianlong, Yu Sheng (余省) served as a distinguished court painter of the Qing Dynasty. A disciple of Jiang Tingxi (蒋廷锡), Yu was renowned for his meticulous gongbi technique and mastery in bird-and-flower painting. Among his most celebrated works is Hundred Butterflies (百蝶图) — a delicate court painting that portrays a microcosm of nature, where white butterflies dance gracefully among wildflowers and grasses.
This intimate subject matter reflects Emperor Qianlong’s fascination with “gewu zhizhi”格物致知 (the pursuit of knowledge through observing the natural world) — an ideal of finding universal harmony within the smallest details. Through Yu Sheng’s brush, art became a medium to see the vast world within a single frame — to capture life, movement, and beauty in quiet perfection.
At Sinocultural, we pay tribute to this timeless symbol through our Golden Butterfly Dance Bone China Collection, where the grace of Yu Sheng’s butterflies finds new life on porcelain.
Yu Sheng’s Artistry: Where Eastern Grace Meets Western Technique
Yu Sheng’s Hundred Butterflies is more than an artistic marvel — it is a masterpiece of cross-cultural fusion and imperial symbolism. As a Qing court painter under the Yongzheng and Qianlong emperors, Yu Sheng, a student of Jiang Tingxi, skillfully merged traditional Chinese gongbi (meticulous brushwork) with Western chiaroscuro introduced by Jesuit painter Giuseppe Castiglione (Lang Shining). The delicate light-and-shadow transitions across each butterfly’s wings reveal this Western influence, while the rhythmic composition and poetic sense of motion remain deeply Chinese.
Each butterfly — from the Pieris rapae to the Papilio bianor and Papilio maackii — is depicted with scientific precision, reflecting the Qianlong court’s fascination with natural history and taxonomy. Through their overlapping flight, rest, and interaction, Yu constructed an “ecological theater” within inches of silk, where nature becomes both observed specimen and aesthetic muse.
Technically, the painting exemplifies extraordinary craftsmanship. Yu employed the Silk-Hair Highlighting Technique, using a wolf-hair brush to paint the fine leg and wing hairs — each stroke less than 0.5 mm — on semi-dry silk. His Layered Glazing Method involved twelve translucent washes: outlining with light ink, base-toning in azurite, brightening with clam white, and finishing with silver highlights for iridescence. The Dynamic Negative Space technique, where soft ochre washes blur dense areas, mimics Western depth-of-field effects — an early meeting of Chinese lyricism and Western optics.
The Hidden Allegories and Scientific Vision Behind Hundred Butterflies
Beyond its beauty, Hundred Butterflies carries layers of meaning. The title itself — bǎi dié (百蝶) — is a homophone for bǎi dié (百耋), “a hundred elders,” symbolizing longevity and imperial prosperity. At its heart, a golden butterfly — the emperor’s emblem — is encircled by others, representing the centripetal force of royal authority. Even the damaged-wing butterfly in the lower corner suggests proto-scientific observation, predating Darwin’s Origin of Species by nearly a century. Meanwhile, the grid-perspective rendering of a compound eye reflects early optical studies from Jesuit scientist Johann Schreck’s Illustrated Treatise on the Telescope.
In this way, Yu Sheng’s Hundred Butterflies becomes not just a painting, but a record of the Qianlong era’s grand synthesis — art, science, and power in perfect fluttering harmony.
Each butterfly in the painting is unique, alive with motion, shimmering as if caught mid-flight. Through the blend of Chinese poetic symbolism and Western realism, Yu Sheng bridged two artistic worlds — creating an enduring symbol of innovation and openness.
From Imperial Canvas to Modern Craft — The Rebirth of “Butterfly Dance” in Porcelain
While Yu Sheng’s Hundred Butterflies captured the imperial fascination with nature and craftsmanship, its spirit of harmony between art and science finds a new life today in Sinocultural’s Golden Butterfly Dance Bone China Collection. Just as Yu’s butterflies fluttered across silk, these gilded motifs now dance upon fine porcelain — transforming an 18th-century masterpiece into a contemporary expression of cultural luxury.
10.5’’ Chinoiserie Luxury Bone China Dinner Plate – Butterfly & Floral Design
Each bone china dinner plate is crafted through high-temperature firing and meticulous glazing techniques, echoing Yu Sheng’s layered approach to light, texture, and life. The Golden Butterfly Dance design reinterprets his intricate brushwork through embossed reliefs and shimmering metallic luster — gold and silver tones that mirror the restrained elegance of imperial art. The result is not only a visual delight but also a tactile one: patterns you can both see and feel, just as Yu’s butterflies seemed ready to lift from silk into flight.
In modern homes, these pieces bring more than beauty. They embody the same aesthetic philosophy that once guided the Qing court — the belief that art should elevate daily life. Whether presented as a luxury gift or displayed as part of an elegant Chinoiserie table setting, each plate bridges East and West, past and present, and tradition and modernity.Through Sinocultural’s craftsmanship, the poetic vision of Yu Sheng endures — reimagined for the modern world. On your table, the “Butterfly Dance” continues, fluttering between heritage and innovation, between memory and the present moment.
4 Piece Chinoiserie Bone China Dining Set – Butterfly & Floral Motif
Modern Craftsmanship, Timeless Elegance
Our Golden Butterfly Dance bone china features an understated palette of silver and gold, replacing ostentation with refined luxury. Each piece undergoes multiple firings to achieve the luminous translucency bone china is known for.
Chinoiserie Luxury Bone China Coffee Cup – Butterfly & Floral Motif
The edges are adorned with ornate floral patterns, while the center remains gracefully minimal — a balance of complexity and simplicity, perfect for elegant dining, family gatherings, or intimate dinners for two.
Through bone china’s advanced firing techniques, the texture mimics the layered depth of hand embroidery, allowing you not only to see the artistry but to feel it beneath your fingertips.
3 Piece Chinoiserie Bone China Coffee Set – Butterfly & Floral Motif
Cultural Luxury in Everyday Life
The Golden Butterfly Dance collection celebrates cultural luxury — where tradition meets modern refinement. More than tableware, it is a bridge between eras and aesthetics, a meaningful luxury gift for weddings, anniversaries, or festive occasions.
Each piece embodies blessings of harmony and prosperity — carrying forward the poetic essence of Yu Sheng’s butterflies into today’s homes. With every meal served, you experience not just dining elegance but the living spirit of Chinese artistry.
From Yu Sheng’s silk canvas to Sinocultural’s luminous porcelain, the dance of butterflies continues — delicate yet eternal. The Golden Butterfly Dance Bone China Collection transforms heritage into everyday beauty, uniting the past and the present, the East and the West.
It is not just tableware; it is a story — a story of craftsmanship, grace, and the quiet luxury that connects us to centuries of Chinese artistry.
