Embroidered Silk Panel with Flowers

EMBROIDERED SILK PANEL WITH FLOWERS
Chinese
The peony and lotus motifs indicate that this panel may be an auspicious banner. More than thirty varieties of peony are cultivated in China and they appear frequently in art as symbols of riches and honor as well as emblems of love and affection. The tree-peony is a sign of spring, while the lotus is a sign of summer. In the Buddhist tradition, the lotus is a symbol of purity and perfection because it grows out of mud but is not defiled. The lotus is esteemed by Taoists as well and may be an emblem of offspring, as depicted by the seeds in the pod.

This artwork is a part of the Ware Art Collection at Long Beach City College
Donated by Beulah, Pauline and Helen Ware in 1991

Beulah, Pauline and Helen Ware were born at the turn of the 20th century in the Tucson-Phoenix area. The sisters were adventurous, curious, and accomplished educators who lived most of their adult lives in Long Beach. They completed their undergraduate education at the University of Southern California; Beulah also completed her graduate studies at Columbia University.
Beulah and Helen enjoyed professional careers with the Long Beach Unified School District. Beulah began as a high school social science, English and math teacher before becoming an administrator. After 36 years of service, she retired as the Assistant Director of Research in 1961. Helen was a 5th and 6th grade teacher for 37 years prior to retiring in 1962. In August 1935, Beulah traveled to England to attend the Oxford Conference of the World Education Association, as a credentialed delegate representing the National Education Association of the United States.
In 1929, Pauline began teaching English for several years at a school in Peiping (now known as Beijing, China). In 1930, Beulah took a one-year leave from LBUSD to join her sister Pauline in Peiping (now known as Beijing). Beulah traveled by ship to the capital of China, with extended stops in Honolulu, Japan, and Hong Kong. Following in Beulah's footsteps, Helen embarked on the same journey to Peiping to join Pauline in 1932. The sisters all taught English while in China. During the late 1980s, the Ware sisters developed a relationship with Ruth Wright, former LBCC foundation president, and Dr. Virginia Baxter, executive director of the LBCC Foundation, and conveyed to them their interest in designating a portion of their estate to LBCC. While they were alive, Dr. Virginia Baxter also formalized the Ware sisters' desire to contribute their Asian art collection to the college.
During the last decades of their lives, Beulah and Helen were active in the local chapter of the California Retired Teachers Association and donated to the local CRTA Scholarship fund, which continues to award scholarships to students who pursue careers in education at Long Beach City College and California State University, Long Beach. In 1991, the Ware estate made a significant contribution to the LBCC Foundation. The interest from this bequest has provided scholarships to students studying for careers in education and funds for various Foundation projects.