A 'PERSIMMON' GOURD WATERPOT WITH BOXWOOD COVER QING DYNASTY, 18TH / 19TH CENTURY

the gourd of globular form with a mouth trimmed with a fillet of wood, the fitted boxwood cover naturalistically carved as the stem and calyx of the persimmon, the gourd and wood of an attractive honey-brown tone

Gerard Tsang and Hugh Moss, Arts from the Scholar's Studio, Fung Ping Shan Museum, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1986, cat. no. 196.

Apart from very minor age cracks at the rim, this delicate waterpot is in overall very good condition. The boxwood cover is in good condition. The actual colour is consistent with the catalogue illustration.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Gourd vessels fashioned after the auspicious fruit, the persimmon, are rare. The word ‘persimmon (shi)’ in Chinese is homophonous with the character for ‘affairs (shi)’, hence the saying shishi ruyi ('may all your affairs go as you wish') would be brought to mind by the persimmon, making it an ideal gift or object for the scholar’s studio.

This water vessel was made from a single-belly gourd, a type that was often fashioned into small ‘playthings’; for example, see a moulded hexagonal form gourd, sold in these rooms, 31st October 1995, lot 641, and again, 8th October 2010, lot 2246. Another gourd piece of related rounded shape, possibly a water vessel or a small container, attributed to the Daoguang period and in the collection of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, is illustrated in Wang Shixiang, The Charms of the Gourd, Hong Kong, 1993, pl. 30, together with a quadrate form ‘plaything’ also fashioned from a single-belly gourd, pl. 29.