A selection of objects from the exhibition...

	BLANC DE CHINE FIGURE OF LI BAI A blanc de chine from Dehua, Fujian Province depicting a reclining figure of the drunken scholar, Li Bai. The figure rests on a wine barrel which can be used as a coupe for rinsing calligraphy brushes, while his body can serve as a brush-rest.
	AUBERGINE AND PEACOCK BLUE GLAZED PORCELAIN “TRICK CUP” The so-called “trick cup” is in a quatrefoil, indented lotus leaf form with a peacock blue glazed standing figure of Lu Hongjian, a 16th century author whose real name was Xiang Yuanbian, in the center. The cup was used as a practical joke as there is an imperceptible hole near the central figure and a small hole on the base of the exterior through which the wine dribbles out much to the chagrin of the holder.
	UNGLAZED COVERED GRAY POTTERY YI This vessel for pouring wine has a large spout and an unusual braided handle. It is in the category of vessels called yi.
	BRONZE ZHI The jue and zhi have analogous uses in ceremonial events, according to the Li Yi. This slender zhi vessel has a small ring for supporting a gently swelling body rising to a trumpet-shaped mouth. Two long-tailed birds occupy a narrow band around the constricted neck. These birds are typical of the first part of the Middle Western Zhou and are found on such bronzes as the Lu Zhong you dated on the basis of the inscription to this period. The inscription on the previously mentioned bronze will appear in Jessica Rawson’s forthcoming book on archaic bronzes (no. 74). Example of a Middle Western Zhou tombs such as tomb M19 at Shaanxi Fufeng Qijacun.
	JUNYAO GLAZE SIPPING CUP This purple-glazed junyao sipping cup has a handle. At the point of attachment of the handle to the body there is a leaf decoration. The everted tip on the lip is quite unusual.
	BEIGE AND CREAM GLAZE CIZHOU WARE MEIPING WINE JAR This Cizhouyao meiping (baluster) wine jar with a floral decoration is executed in raised carvings against a darker glaze background.
	BLACK/BROWN HENAN GLAZE TULU, OR TULUHU, (GLOBULAR WINE STORAGE JAR) This globular vessel has a short neck and an everted mouth. The glaze is the black/brown glaze characteristic of Henan Province. The glaze on the lip contains brown “hare’s fur” markings. There are several brown streaks on the globular body. The foot has glaze accumulations that result in drips that serve as the foot of the vessel.
	INSCRIPTION ON BOTTOM OF CUP
	BRONZE JUE A very early prototypical example of the jue ritual vessel form. The name jue is derived from the Eastern Han dynasty (25-220) dictionary Shuowen and is loosely translated as “goblet”. Judging from the stemmed knobs at the lip, it may have been used to heat ritual wine, the knobs being used to remove the hot vessel from over the fire using leather thongs. In some examples, there are traces of ashes on the tripod indicating its use in fire.
	BLANC DE CHINE RHINOCEROS HORN FORM LIBATION CUP This libation cup in a form imitating a carved inverted rhinoceros horn has both molded and applied decorations on the exterior. It is thought that the form of the rhinoceros conveys prestige upon the owner. This example of blanc de chine has symbolic animals and other decorations including applied qilin, dragon and Crane of Longevity.
	BRONZE ZHI This zhi with an oval cross-section is of a commonly used type. Its smooth “S”-shaped profile stands on a neatly sloping front ring. The patina is a smooth dark gray color.
	BRONZE COVERED FANGHU A bronze covered fanghu with green and red patination. The decoration is made up of geometric dragons. The vessel has taotie mask handles and a very unusual reticulated gallery at the base.
	BRONZE HU This classic hu is decorated with four panels of decoration, one on the base. The wine vessel has taotiemask handles with rings.
	COVERED BRONZE FANGHU This strong and simple wine vessel has taotie mask handles and four finials on the cover. There are azurite crystals of wine at the bottom.
	COVERED, CHAIN-HANDLED YU This wine vessel has a chain-link handle atop which is a solid piece with dragon heads at either end. The vessel rests on three feet and the cover has three finials that are dragon- fish emerging from waves. This vessel with its sealed cover contains jiu (wine) in liquid form.
	GRAY POTTERY COVERED FLYING GOOSE HE This he, in the shape of a flying goose, stands on three legs to increase its stability for pouring. The cover that has been thermoluminescence tested to prove it to be of the same soil as the body of the goose, and therefore original.
	YUEYAO GREEN GLAZE ERBEI (EAR CUP) This erbei is an unusual early example of proto-porcelain. Most mingqi (tomb furnishings) ear cups are pottery, but there are Han dynasty examples made of red and black lacquer and minerals such as nephrite jade and agate.
	NEPHRITE JADE STEM CUP This nephrite jade stem cup is a miniature version of the Tang dynasty goblets used for drinking wine. This piece shows the effects of burial in the chemical alteration to the jade. A portion still has translucence and shows that the stone was originally a pale celadon color. Due to the burial alteration, the stone appears bone colored.
	AUBERGINE AND PEACOCK BLUE GLAZED PORCELAIN FIGURE OF LI BAI This figure of the Tang dynasty poet Li Bai reclining, propped up on his jug of wine, is glazed in the aubergine and peacock blue colors typical of fahua wares. There is great attention to detail visible in the ewer rendered in unglazed biscuit on the interior of the wine jug. Such figures of “The Drunken Dragon”, in this form are also found in “spinach and egg” color glazes.
	BLANC DE CHINE DRINKING STRAW CUP A quatrefoil blanc de chine wine cup with built-in drinking straw, decorated with an applied crab at the opening in the cup’s interior.
	HUANGHUALI WOOD WINE TABLE This huanghuali (golden rosewood) table is a early example of the type which was often carried into the garden for the service of wine. The top lifts off. The fluted legs are rare. Such tables are often depicted in Ming dynasty paintings of scholars in their gardens.
	LARGE VERTICAL SCROLL PAINTING OF SCHOLARS AT LEISURE This watercolor on silk painting depicts scholars in a garden engaged in “the work of the brush” (i.e., painting, calligraphy and poetry). They are sitting at a table with scholar’s implements ready for use. One is drinking from a wine cup, attended by a servant. The painting is signed by Li Shan and bears his seal.
	HORIZONTAL SCROLL PAINTING OF “SEVEN DRINKERS” This contemporary horizontal scroll, in ink and watercolor on paper, was painted in 1998.
	SET OF FIVE GRADUATED BLANC DE CHINE WINE CUPS WITH FOOTED BASES The cups are in graduated sizes, one fitting into the other. The cups have deep, spreading sides with slightly everted lips, and are raised on low circular feet. The inscription incised on the exterior is covered with a thick glaze. The translucent body has a slight pink tone. The matching tripod circular base has cabriole feet. This set of five blanc de chine cups has selections of poetry by Du Fu (712-770) about eight famous drinkers.
	NEPHRITE JADE RECLINING FIGURE OF LI BAI A beige nephrite “pebble jade” stone carved into a reclining figure of the drunken poet, Li Bai. The stone has “skin”, an iron ion layer on the surface, deposited there as the pebble passed through water. The highly carved and reticulated fitted hongmu (rosewood) base is also of the period.
	PAIR OF BAMBOO CARVINGS OF LU (DEER) WINE CUPS The carved bamboo vessels are in the form of reclining deer. The deer symbolizes immortality in Chinese iconography. When the carvings are inverted, they are wine cups. The deer have reticulated horns, which serve as the stems of the wine cups.
	BLANC DE CHINE TRICK CUP The so-called “trick cup” is in a quatrefoil indented lotus leaf form with a glazed standing figure of the 16th century author Lu Hongjian, in the center.
	Wine and Spirits of the Ancestors catalogue cover

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