Wine Ewer
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Object Label
The ewer is shaped to form two characters, wu jiang, meaning “without boundaries.” The complete Chinese phrase is wan shou wu jiang, meaning, “May you have ten thousand longevities without boundary.” Although the phrase was originally reserved for emperors and empresses, in the Qing dynasty it became a common birthday greeting, implying that this ewer was made as a birthday gift. Each stroke of the characters is detailed with either rows of red-crowned cranes or yellow-spotted deer nestled among pine trees. Both cranes and deer are symbols of longevity. The pine and crane can also represent a husband and wife.
Caption
Wine Ewer, 1662–1722. Porcelain with overglaze enamel, 9 7/8 x 6 1/2 x 1 15/16 in. (25.1 x 16.5 x 4.9 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mrs. Frank K. Sanders, Jr., 69.14. Creative Commons-BY
Collection
Collection
Title
Wine Ewer
Date
1662–1722
Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
Period
Kangxi Period
Geography
Place made: China
Medium
Porcelain with overglaze enamel
Classification
Dimensions
9 7/8 x 6 1/2 x 1 15/16 in. (25.1 x 16.5 x 4.9 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Frank K. Sanders, Jr.
Accession Number
69.14
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
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