Flower Power: The Meaning of Flowers in Asian Art

In 1967, the phrase "flower power" transformed the commonplace flower into a Buddhist-inspired symbol of peace. In honor of the fiftieth anniversary of San Francisco's Summer of Love, this book showcases the expressive powers of flowers in Asian arts and cultures. Beginning in ancient times, a language of flowers, where certain blooms suggest specific themes, was communicated in art throughout Asia. Here forty artworks, all drawn from the Asian Art Museum's renowned collection, focus on six celebrated flowers—lotus, plum blossom, cherry blossom, chrysanthemum, tulip, and rose—and the messages they convey.