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Lot Essay
The decoration on this vase encompasses numerous auspicious symbols. The double-gourd is associated with Daoism, as it is the attribute of the immortal Li Tieguai; it is also symbolic of prosperity and abundance, and in particular, an abundance of children. This theme of abundance is reinforced by the characters, da ji, 'good fortune', inscribed on both sides of the gourd.
This double-gourd form with the da ji inscription is, thus, very popular and may be found in a variety of materials, including porcelain. In jade, a very similarly decorated white jade double-gourd-shaped vase, also inscribed da ji, is illustrated in A Romance with Jade from the De An Tang Collection, Hong Kong, 2004, pl. 44; and another, lacking its cover, is illustrated by Yang Boda (ed.), Essence of Qing Jades, Hong Kong, 1995, p. 78-79. Compare also a double-gourd-shaped ewer carved with low-relief gourd vines and with a similar cover suspending a loose ring, illustrated in Zhongguo Yuqi Quanji, vol. 6, Hebei, 1991, no. 3.
This double-gourd form with the da ji inscription is, thus, very popular and may be found in a variety of materials, including porcelain. In jade, a very similarly decorated white jade double-gourd-shaped vase, also inscribed da ji, is illustrated in A Romance with Jade from the De An Tang Collection, Hong Kong, 2004, pl. 44; and another, lacking its cover, is illustrated by Yang Boda (ed.), Essence of Qing Jades, Hong Kong, 1995, p. 78-79. Compare also a double-gourd-shaped ewer carved with low-relief gourd vines and with a similar cover suspending a loose ring, illustrated in Zhongguo Yuqi Quanji, vol. 6, Hebei, 1991, no. 3.