Porcelain Waste Vessel with Red Bats and Gold Medallions of “Longevity” (Shou) Characters on a Yellow Ground

This wast vessel (zha dou) is glazed white on the interior and yellow on the exterior with circular gold longevity (shou) characters, blue Buddhist emblems, and red bats (fu) placed in between. The design varies in density and as a whole signifies the phrase “to enjoy both happiness and longevity” (fushou shuangquan). This waste vessel was made to celebrate the longevity of the Empress Dowager Cixi.