{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O461129"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O461129/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2021MX4543/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2021MX4543/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2021MX4543","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2014HG6588","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O461129/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O461129","accessionNumber":"FE.165-1975","objectType":"Water dropper","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"","physicalDescription":"Moulded gourd pot, hexagonal, with poetic phrase round the six sides 'qiu yue shui hu jiao ying' (autumn moon and vessel of ice reflect each other), mouth fitted with a fine ivory ring set in gilt foil","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"gourd","id":"AAT11870"}],"techniques":[{"text":"moulded","id":"x30076"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Gourd, moulded","categories":[{"text":"Writing","id":"THES261995"}],"styles":[{"text":"Qing","id":"AAT18478"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"EAS","id":"THES48596"},"images":["2021MX4543","2014HG6588"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"019","id":"THES366895"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Water dropper","id":"CIT285587"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"China","id":"x29398"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1800-1850","earliest":"1795-01-01","latest":"1850-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Sir John Addis Gift","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Diameter","value":"5.9","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"at base","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"From Register:\r\nSimilar washers in the Palace Museum, Beijing (<u>Gugong Bowuyuan Yuankan</u> no. 1, 1979, p. 49)\r\n\r\nThe brush-washer is made from an almost entire gourd completely encased in a sectional mould, with only the junction of the stem cut off to make the mouth. The poem is probably an allusion to a quatrain by the Tang poet Wang Wei. The poet sends news to himself to Loyang by a returning traveller \"There is a heart of ice in the vessel of jade\". Ice denotes purity and jade other noble qualities. The phrase on the brush-washer thus evokes the correspondence between the austere purity of the scholar's heart (vessel of ice) and the most perfect of all natural phenomena (autumn moon).","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Water dropper, moulded gourd, China, Qing dynasty, ca. 1800-1850","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Clunas, Craig. <u>Chinese Carving</u>. London: Sun Tree Publishing Ltd in association with the Victoria & Albert Museum, 1996. p. 68, fig. 83."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Addis, J.M. 'Impressed Gourds'. <u>Oriental Art</u>, 1964. N.S. vol. X, no. 1."}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["FE.165-1975"],"accessionNumberNum":"165","accessionNumberPrefix":"FE","accessionYear":1975,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-12","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-25","availableToBook":true}}