Definition

1. Noun:
   • A set of four paintings: A traditional artwork consisting of four separate but thematically connected paintings or panels, designed to be displayed together as a single decorative unit.
   • A quadriptych: A specific term for a picture or carving on four panels, often hinged together.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Trong phòng khách treo một bộ tứ bình vẽ bốn mùa. (A set of tứ bình depicting the four seasons hangs in the living room.)
  • Bộ tứ bình này mô tả cảnh ngư, tiều, canh, độc. (This tứ bình set illustrates the scenes of fishing, woodcutting, farming, and studying.)

Advanced Usage

• Artistic Theme: Traditionally, often depicts the "Four Gentlemen" (lan, bamboo, chrysanthemum, plum blossom) or the "Four Seasons" (spring, summer, autumn, winter), representing cyclical harmony and Confucian ideals.
• Cultural Symbolism: The four panels are not merely decorative; they are a cohesive artistic narrative, where the whole conveys a deeper philosophical meaning than each individual part.

Variants and Related Words

• Tranh tứ bình (n): four-panel painting; quadriptych. This is a more descriptive full term.
  • Bà tôi rất quý bức tranh tứ bình cổ. (My grandmother treasures the old quadriptych painting.)
• Tứ quý (n): A closely related concept meaning "the four noble plants" (representing the four seasons), which is a very common subject for a .

Synonyms

• Quadriptych: A painting or carving on four panels.
• Set of four paintings: A general descriptive term.
• Polyptych (specifically tetraptych): A multi-panel artwork, with "tetraptych" specifying four panels.

Related Idioms and Concepts

• Ngư - Tiều - Canh - Độc: (Fisherman - Woodcutter - Farmer - Scholar). This is a classic Confucian-themed subject for , representing the four essential occupations in traditional East Asian society.
• Xuân - Hạ - Thu - Đông: (Spring - Summer - Autumn - Winter). Another quintessential theme for , symbolizing the perpetual and harmonious cycle of time.