Bedecked with Pearls and Glimmering Jade / 被明月兮佩寶璐

Digital Painting
516 x 17.11 inches, 2022

Commissioned by Dragon Boat BC as design for newly acquired dragon boat fleet.

The title of the artwork, Bedecked with Pearls and Glimmering Jade, quotes a line from Qu Yuan’s poem Crossing the River from his poetry collection The Nine Songs. An excerpt of the first few lines of the poem:

Since I was young I have worn gorgeous dress

And still love raiment rare,

A long gem-studded sword hangs at my side,

And a tall hat I wear.

Bedecked with pearls that glimmer like the moon,

With pendent of fine jade,

Though there are fools who cannot understand,

I ride by undismayed.

Qu Yuan’s “pearls” and “pendants of fine jade” symbolize his never-abandoned virtues and ideals, despite his exile. his death in 278 BC inspired many dragon boat traditions. The gems and pearls crafted as traditional Chinese symbols carry messages of good intention, while the five-coloured thread is a blessing of good fortune and protection against illness. Together, they represent an auspicious protection charm for dragon boat athletes.