Double-Gourd Flask

Manufacturer Imperial Palace Workshop, Beijing

Place of OriginChina

DateQing dynasty, Qianlong period (1736-1795)

Dimensions9 1/4 × 4 3/4 in. (23.5 × 12.1 cm)

MediumTranslucent amber-colored non-lead glass; blown, carved, polished.

ClassificationGlass

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number

2011.11

Not on View

DescriptionThe blown, carved, and cut translucent amber glass bottle in the shape of a gourd is decorated with fertility symbols such as pairs of goldfishes (koi) and conch shells. Circular foot, polished flat, with polished concave pontil mark in the center; marked in the polished pontil mark.

Label TextAccording to tradition, this double-gourd flask was a wedding gift to the original owners. The yellow (golden) gourd is a symbol of good fortune and health in Chinese culture and golden gourd-shaped vessels and objects are often used as wedding gifts. The fish decoration carved on the flask also has marital associations: fish symbolize wealth because the Chinese word for “fish” sounds like the word for “abundance and affluence.” In addition, due to its reproductive success, the fish also signifies marriage and the birth of many children. A pair of fish, in particular, symbolizes conjugal happiness and freedom from restraint.Comparative ReferencesSee also Amber-colored Chinese glass: Yang Boda, “A brief account of Quing Dynasty glass,” in: Brown and Rabiner, Chinese glass of the Quing Dynasty, 1644-1911: The Robert H. Clague Collection, exhibition catalogue, Phoenix Art Museum, 1987, p.78.