Period:Qing dynasty Production date:1662-1722
Materials:gourd
Technique:moulded
Subjects:mammal bird
Dimensions:Height: 3 inches
Description:
Small gourd grown in a hexagonal mould, decorated with symbols of longevity: cranes and deer.
IMG
![图片[1]-box BM-1953-0414.3.a-China Archive](https://chinaarchive.net/Qin dynasty/43/mid_00298859_001.jpg)
Comments:Rawson 1992:Gourds have often been used in Chinese literature as a metaphor for separate, perfect world or retreat, and the gourd-heaven (‘hutian’) was a term used to refer to paradise, the gourd’s narrow neck representing the difficult entrance to paradise. Gourds were asscoaited with immortals and Daoism. The Daoist immortal Li Tieguai was reputed to be able to disappear into his medicine gourd. There is also a legend, recorded in the “Hou han shu”, of a medicine-seller who hung a gourd-shaped vessel in front of his shop. Whenever the market closed, he jumped into the vessel without anyone seeing him. Of course, he turned out to be an immortal, condemned to living on earth because of a previous misdeed. Gourd-shaped vases were produced in celadon, porcelain and Yixing stoneware as well as in bamboo and ivory. Real gourds were also carefully grown into moulds, usually for miniature size.
Materials:gourd
Technique:moulded
Subjects:mammal bird
Dimensions:Height: 3 inches
Description:
Small gourd grown in a hexagonal mould, decorated with symbols of longevity: cranes and deer.
IMG
Comments:Rawson 1992:Gourds have often been used in Chinese literature as a metaphor for separate, perfect world or retreat, and the gourd-heaven (‘hutian’) was a term used to refer to paradise, the gourd’s narrow neck representing the difficult entrance to paradise. Gourds were asscoaited with immortals and Daoism. The Daoist immortal Li Tieguai was reputed to be able to disappear into his medicine gourd. There is also a legend, recorded in the “Hou han shu”, of a medicine-seller who hung a gourd-shaped vessel in front of his shop. Whenever the market closed, he jumped into the vessel without anyone seeing him. Of course, he turned out to be an immortal, condemned to living on earth because of a previous misdeed. Gourd-shaped vases were produced in celadon, porcelain and Yixing stoneware as well as in bamboo and ivory. Real gourds were also carefully grown into moulds, usually for miniature size.
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![[Qing Dynasty] British female painter—Elizabeth Keith, using woodblock prints to record China from the late Qing Dynasty to the early Republic of China—1915-China Archive](https://chinaarchive.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/image-191x300.png)
