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Wine Jar with Tree in Form of 'Long Life' Character
(China )
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.
Inscription
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Henry Walters, Baltimore [mode and date of acquisition unknown]; by bequest to Walters Art Museum, 1931.
Exhibitions
| 1980-1981 | Masterpieces of Chinese Porcelain. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Geographies
China (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 13 5/16 in. (33.8 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
49.1667