Art Institute of Chicago
Covered Box with Butterflies, Gourds, and Scrolling Vines
ChinaLinkedCulture matchlcp-777a05c2acea
- Date
- Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Yongzheng (1723–35) or early Qianlong period (1736–95), 18th century
- Medium
- Carved cinnabar lacquer on wood
- Culture
- China
- Department
- Arts of Asia
- Institution
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Object ID
- 36691
From the Art Institute of Chicago record
This vessel plays upon a rebus: the words for “butterfly” and “gourd” together allude to the wish for innumerable generations of sons and grandsons. The image of fruit-bearing stems visually reinforces this ideal, which was highly valued in traditional Confucian society. Butterflies with beautifully contoured wings flutter amid red, orange, and pale green gourds, melons, pumpkins, or squash. The lobed fruits are decorative rather than botanically specific; together, they grow from gracefully trailing stems with large palmette leaves and elegantly curled tendrils.
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Provenance & credit
As published by the source institution. Coverage varies — not every institution's open-data feed includes ownership history.
- Credit line
- Gift of Mrs. Charles Fabens Kelley in memory of Charles Fabens Kelley
Linked open data
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- Object type
- AAT300193015
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