桃園三結義 Oath of Brotherhood in the Peach Garden

Size: 16'' H x 21'' W x 4'' D Weight: 15 lbs. All measurements are approximate.

「桃園三結義」木雕，左為關羽，中為劉備，右為張飛

中國 木雕 裝飾

Carved with meticulous details, this spirited Chinese rosewood scenic depicts one of the folk tales of commonly recognized events in the popular historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The gathering of these three characters featured prominently in Chinese popular culture, literature, and art. They have been historically venerated as perfect warriors with serene charisma, courage and fierce combat skills. This portrait is in very good condition.

桃園三結義出自羅貫中“三國演義”小說中劉備，關羽，張飛結拜為義兄弟的故事。後世成為結拜兄弟，共同謀事的典故

【桃園三結義】最初是小說《三國演義》里記載的故事，述說當年劉備、關羽和張飛三位仁人志士，爲了共同幹一番大事業的目標，意氣相投，言行相依，選在一個桃花盛開的季節、選在一個桃花絢爛的園林，擧酒結義，對天盟誓，有苦同受，有難同當，有福同享，共同實現自己人生的美好理想。

The oath of brotherhood in the Peach Garden, sworn by Liu Bei, Zhang Fei and Guan Yu at the start of the Romance of Three Kingdoms

Romance of the Three Kingdoms is a 14th-century historical novel attributed to Luo Guanzhong. It is set in the turbulent years towards the end of the Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history, starting in 169 AD and ending with the reunification of the land in 280.

The story – part historical, part legend, and part mythical – romanticizes and dramatizes the lives of feudal lords and their retainers, who tried to replace the dwindling Han dynasty or restore it. While the novel follows hundreds of characters, the focus is mainly on the three power blocs that emerged from the remnants of the Han dynasty, and would eventually form the three states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu. The novel deals with the plots, personal and military battles, intrigues, and struggles of these states to achieve dominance for almost 100 years.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms is acclaimed as one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature; it has a total of 800,000 words and nearly a thousand dramatic characters (mostly historical) in 120 chapters. The novel is among the most beloved works of literature in East Asia, and its literary influence in the region has been compared to that of the works of Shakespeare on English literature. It is arguably the most widely read historical novel in late imperial and modern China.