Sun Tzu T-Shirt

Sun Tzu was a Chinese military strategist and general who lived from 544 until 496 BCE. He wrote The Art of War, a treatise on the conduct of war said to be written according to Taoist principles. He preferred to avoid war, extolling the virtues of diplomacy and failing that, psychological warfare. But if the worst comes to the worst, Sun Tzu offered further tips and ideas. Made him famous. For this piece, we place Sun Tzu in front of a map of China, with fronds of the famous bamboo plant to offer him shade, alongside ornate floral references to blooms loved in Chinese culture: the magnolia, peony, lily, rose, and poppy. Magnolia symbolises purity, the peony wealth, the lily harmony, the rose longevity, and the poppy symbolises the afterlife.