Page 129 - Bonhams May 11th 2017 London Fine Chinese Art
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Designs of squirrels amid grapes underscore
symbolic associations relating to fertility. As squirrels
have large litters, the depiction of squirrels with
trailing vines may be a visual rebus for a wish for
many sons and the continuation of the family line,
the winding vines representing the family lineage.
A wucai baluster jar, Kangxi, with related decoration
of squirrels and grapes, is illustrated in The World’s
Great Collections: Oriental Ceramics, Vol.7, Musée
Guimet, Paris, Tokyo, 1981, col.pl.83.
