Gourd-shaped Vase with Ribbon-shaped Ears and Designs of Foreigners in Enamels on a Yellow Ground

The Chinese word for gourd hu lu is a homophone of those for “fortune” (fu) and “wealth” (lu), thereby giving this vase auspicious implications. This gourd-shaped vase is decorated with lotus pattern in enamels on a yellow ground. The ellliptical reserved panels on the top depict landscape; while the crabapple-shaped reserved panels at the lower part depict a foreign woman with her child. The painting utilizes Western techniques of shading to show the three-dimensional effect.