Vessels of this type formed from organic material were curious objects, produced entirely in the pursuit of pleasure, as suggested by the mark on the base. These naturally grown objects were highly prized by the Qing emperors, and a Qianlong poem 'Odes to a vase-gourd', Yong hu lu qi, supports the view of Imperial interest by references to experiments in growing gourds conducted by Emperor Kangxi in the Imperial West Gardens, located outside the Forbidden City, cf. J. Zhu, Treasures of the Forbidden City, p. 209.