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The lotus flower has long been associated with Chinese notions of purity. Growing from the muddy bottom of the pond, the blossoms reveal a pure and radiant beauty. The name of the flower, "he," sounds like the Chinese word for harmony. Paired with the male and female ducks, these lotuses may have been painted to wish a couple harmony in their marriage.When this painting was remounted eighty or ninety years ago, it was identified as a work of the Sung dynasty (960-1279), and the false signature of Liu I-chih was probably added at that time. Although the interest in meticulous realism can be traced back to Sung times, the composition and peculiar point of view--with giant lotuses and tiny ducks--suggest a date in the 17th or 18th century.
Page data
- Page
- 2
- Source index
- 0
- Type
- photo
- Media ID
- a3594434d61adad8
- Size
- unknown
Document data
- ID
- 37110
- Core
- obj
- Type
- drawing
DTO data
{
"id": "37110",
"sourceUrl": "https://purl.thewalters.org/art/35.66",
"contentType": "drawing",
"stage": "normalized",
"title": "Ducks in a Lotus Pond",
"description": "The lotus flower has long been associated with Chinese notions of purity. Growing from the muddy bottom of the pond, the blossoms reveal a pure and radiant beauty. The name of the flower, \"he,\" sounds like the Chinese word for harmony. Paired with the male and female ducks, these lotuses may have been painted to wish a couple harmony in their marriage.When this painting was remounted eighty or ninety years ago, it was identified as a work of the Sung dynasty (960-1279), and the false signature of Liu I-chih was probably added at that time. Although the interest in meticulous realism can be traced back to Sung times, the composition and peculiar point of view--with giant lotuses and tiny ducks--suggest a date in the 17th or 18th century.",
"provenance": "Panama-Pacific International Exposition, China Pavilion, San Francisco, 1915 [no. 122]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1915, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.",
"date": "17th-18th century (Qing)",
"citationUrl": "https://purl.thewalters.org/art/35.66",
"rightsUri": "CC0",
"language": "en",
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"Painting & Drawing",
"kakemono",
"scroll paintings"
],
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"dimensionsRaw": "H: 48 7/16 x W: 16 15/16 in. (123.1 x 43.1 cm)",
"style": "Piling [P'i-ling] School"
}
Context sent to Scholar
Document identity
{
"localId": "37110",
"label": "Ducks in a Lotus Pond",
"core": "obj",
"dtoType": "drawing",
"citationUrl": "https://purl.thewalters.org/art/35.66"
}
Document source metadata
{
"id": "37110",
"sourceUrl": "https://purl.thewalters.org/art/35.66",
"contentType": "drawing",
"stage": "normalized",
"title": "Ducks in a Lotus Pond",
"description": "The lotus flower has long been associated with Chinese notions of purity. Growing from the muddy bottom of the pond, the blossoms reveal a pure and radiant beauty. The name of the flower, \"he,\" sounds like the Chinese word for harmony. Paired with the male and female ducks, these lotuses may have been painted to wish a couple harmony in their marriage.When this painting was remounted eighty or ninety years ago, it was identified as a work of the Sung dynasty (960-1279), and the false signature of Liu I-chih was probably added at that time. Although the interest in meticulous realism can be traced back to Sung times, the composition and peculiar point of view--with giant lotuses and tiny ducks--suggest a date in the 17th or 18th century.",
"provenance": "Panama-Pacific International Exposition, China Pavilion, San Francisco, 1915 [no. 122]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1915, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.",
"date": "17th-18th century (Qing)",
"citationUrl": "https://purl.thewalters.org/art/35.66",
"rightsUri": "CC0",
"language": "en",
"genreSpecific": [
"Painting & Drawing",
"kakemono",
"scroll paintings"
],
"iiifBase": "https://art.thewalters.org/images/art/PS1_35.66_DetC_DD_T09.jpg",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://art.thewalters.org/images/art/PS1_35.66_DetC_DD_T09.jpg",
"largeImageUrl": "https://art.thewalters.org/images/art/PS1_35.66_DetC_DD_T09.jpg",
"imageCount": 5,
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"source": "import",
"dimensions": [
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],
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"style": "Piling [P'i-ling] School"
}
Document source extras
{
"cul": "Chinese",
"inscriptions": [
"[Signature] Spurious signature of Liu Yizhi [Liu I-chih]; [Seal] Fain seal in red",
"lower right"
],
"dynasty": "Ming [Ming]-Qing [Ch'ing] Dynasty",
"med": "ink and color on silk mounted on paper",
"creator_ids": [
"6238"
],
"collection_ids": [
"CHN"
],
"exhibition_ids": []
}
Page context
{
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"url": "https://art.thewalters.org/images/raw/PS1_35.66_DetA_DD_T09.jpg",
"mediaId": "a3594434d61adad8"
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