But Did I Really Dream of the Butterfly?
By Christa TerryYellow is a vibrant, energetic color, but it can also be as relaxing as it is invigorating. When combined with scads of languid butterflies in this
hand-painted Chinese storage cabinet and situated in a bedroom or den, this hue becomes very relaxing.
The butterflies themselves are rendered in springtime pastel paints mixed with “tongfen,” or bronze powder, to guarantee a fadeless gleam. Two large doors swing open on “menzhou,” an ancient hinge-less mechanism which allows them to be easily and completely removed, revealing ample interior storage space. The doors are kept securely closed with custom bronze butterfly hardware from which flowerpot handles hang beneath a peach key latch.
In Chinese thought, butterflies represent change, rebirth, and duality. Zhuangzi, a Taoist poet and philosopher, wrote “I once dreamed I was a butterfly fluttering here and there. But did I really dream of the butterfly? Or is the butterfly now dreaming of me?” A thought-provoking question, indeed.
