Cricket Cage

The surface of the gourd is covered with an intricate design depicting a dragon flying amid swirling clouds. Carved into the bottom of the gourd is a four-character mark, Qianlong yuwan (^c^, literally, “imperial plaything of the Qianlong emperor”). The date cannot be taken at face value. The lid, formed of an outer ivory ring and a central tortoise shell, depicts a dragon.

a=gourd; b=ivory lid; c= silk pouch with green, yellow, white, red embroidery in a trellis pattern lined in pale blue silk with drawstring.

Historical period(s)
Qing dynasty, 19th century
Medium
Gourd, ivory, tortoise shell
Dimensions
H x W: 12.7 x 7.1 cm (5 x 2 13/16 in)
Geography
China
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art
Accession Number
F1984.38.9a-c
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Container
Type

Cricket cage

Keywords
China, cricket, dragon, Qing dynasty (1644 - 1911), Robert Hatfield Ellsworth collection
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Description

The surface of the gourd is covered with an intricate design depicting a dragon flying amid swirling clouds. Carved into the bottom of the gourd is a four-character mark, Qianlong yuwan (^c^, literally, "imperial plaything of the Qianlong emperor"). The date cannot be taken at face value. The lid, formed of an outer ivory ring and a central tortoise shell, depicts a dragon.

a=gourd; b=ivory lid; c= silk pouch with green, yellow, white, red embroidery in a trellis pattern lined in pale blue silk with drawstring.

Collection Area(s)
Chinese Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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