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Source Description
This wine jar of globular shape is painted with underglaze blue symbols of immortality. The trunk of a peach tree is twisted into the character Shou, meaning "longevity'. Peach threes are emblems of marriage and more appropriately for immortality. A peach tree of the gods was believed to blossom every 3,000 years to yield the fruits of eternal life, which ripened for another 3,000 years. The peach fruit was also believed to give the Taoist Immortals their immortality; additionally the Taoist god of longevity is often depicted emerging from a peach. Sprouting from the roots of the peach tree is the sacred fungus lingzhi, another symbol of longevity.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
12107
label
Wine Jar with Tree in Form of 'Long Life' Character
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
12107
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Wine Jar with Tree in Form of 'Long Life' Character
description
This wine jar of globular shape is painted with underglaze blue symbols of immortality. The trunk of a peach tree is twisted into the character Shou, meaning "longevity'. Peach threes are emblems of marriage and more appropriately for immortality. A peach tree of the gods was believed to blossom every 3,000 years to yield the fruits of eternal life, which ripened for another 3,000 years. The peach fruit was also believed to give the Taoist Immortals their immortality; additionally the Taoist god of longevity is often depicted emerging from a peach. Sprouting from the roots of the peach tree is the sacred fungus lingzhi, another symbol of longevity.
provenance
Henry Walters, Baltimore [mode and date of acquisition unknown]; by bequest to Walters Art Museum, 1931.
date
1522-1566
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Ceramics
jars
imageCount
1
pageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
H: 13 5/16 in. (33.8 cm)
Source extras
cul
Chinese
inscriptions
[Reign Mark] In underglaze blue: Jiajing
dynasty
Ming Dynasty
reign
Jiajing (1522-1566)
med
porcelain with underglaze blue
creator_ids
6238
collection_ids
CHN
exhibition_ids
2514
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
f1ae97c015a3e37b