Page 528 - Chinese SIlver By Adrien Von Ferscht

This is undoubtedly one of the finest late 19th century Chinese silver sets I’ve ever seen. Taking the form of a
segmented gourd with each piece decorated in exquisitely executed repoussé work vignette scenes.
Although this isn’t a traditional Chinese set inasmuch as Chinese connoisseurs of tea would normally prefer to
have a much smaller teapot in order to retain all the aroma and taste, gourd-shaped tea sets were traditionally
given as Chinese marriage gifts among wealthy and intellectual Chinese.

Gourds, apart from being associated with fertility, were believed to be part of the story of creation. According to
Chinese mythology, the creation of humans is directly attributed to the classical notion of ‘ancestry’ - in other
words, a husband and wife. In many Chinese mythological tales, the original first couple were a brother and
sister known as Fùxī and Nǖwā. A gourd is frequently an integral part of the creation story. Scholars believed
the first Ancestor God was a combination of Fùxī and Nǖwā. Gourd worship also formed the two main themes in
Chinese folk art. Some of the more obscure ethnic Chinese groups believe Fùxī and Nǖwā were actually gourds.
The gourd is probably one of the oldest Chinese decorative forms. Its history of having a special place in
Chinese cultural history go back as far a Neolithic times. The Ming used gourds or cups having the gourd form
as drinking vessels.

Images courtesy of Infinity Auctions, Beijing; Bonhams, London; Brenda Ginsberg Antiques, Boca Raton, USA;
Christie’s, South Kensington; Supershrink’s Storehouse of Silver; Garland & Anderson Auctioneers, Newcastle upon
Tyne, UK; Bukowski’s Auctions, Stockholm; Skinner Inc, Boston, USA

http://chinese-export-silver.com Image Library Archive