Pan believed firmly in the merits of traditional Chinese painting and advocated against the intrusion of Westernisation in Chinese paintings. In his opinion, Chinese painting could exist independently of Western painting. In his years of teaching and practising art, he stressed the traditional approach of incorporating the art of seals, poetry and calligraphy into painting. This is a collaborative work of five close artist-friends who were active in both Hangzhou and Shanghai. The pipa fruit on the raised plate was painted by Zhu Wenyun, with additions of calamus by Yu Jifan, garlic by Zhang Tianqi, mugwort leaves by his brother, Zhu Lesan and finally pomegranate flowers by Pan Tianshou. This group of artists was either students or admirers of the Shanghai master, Wu Changshuo (1844-1927). In terms of selection of objects and layout, this painting is typical of most auspicious pictures.
