Panel with gourds on vines
As the word for gourd is a homophone of “fortune and prosperity” in Chinese, the fruit became a popular motif in eighteenth-century art. Here, meticulously woven silk threads represent ten gourds growing out of lush vines. The large gourd at center is imbued with additional auspicious meaning. Over a geometric-patterned background, the artist added two Chinese characters that read “grand luck” (da ji) and images of the Eight Buddhist Treasures.
Artwork Details
- 清中期 緙絲大吉葫蘆挂屏
- Title: Panel with gourds on vines
- Period: Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
- Date: late 18th–early 19th century
- Culture: China
- Medium: Silk, wool, and metal thread tapestry (kesi)
- Dimensions: Overall: 45 1/2 x 25 3/4 in. (115.6 x 65.4 cm)
- Classification: Textiles-Tapestries
- Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. A. Philippe von Hemert, in memory of Mrs. Adelaide W. Carpenter, 1959
- Object Number: 59.18
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
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China
China
ca. 1330–32
China
16th century
China
late 7th–early 8th century
China (Xinjiang Autonomous Region, Central Asia)
8th century
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