Piante e rocce in vaso. Il penjing in un dipinto della dinastia Ming

The article examines the twelve depictions of penjing, ‘pot sceneries’, in a hand-scroll by the Ming dynasty Suzhou painter Zhou Zhimian (active late 16th-early 17th century). The first part of the article offers some background information on the figure of Zhou Zhimian, the artistic tradition to which he belonged and the particular painting technique he used in the depic- tions of plants and flowers. The second part anal- yses the subjects portrayed in the hand-scroll, endeavouring to recognise the plant species and their other constitutive elements, making a comparison with those prescribed in Ming treatises and used in the modern practice of penjing. The conclusion discusses the peculiarities of this painting and its relevance for the study of the history of penjing in China.