Xiwangmu (Queen Mother of the West)
Artist
Xu Youyi
(1887 - 1940)
Date1887-1940
PeriodQing dynasty (1644–1911) or Republican period (1912–1949)
MediumDehua ware; porcelain with transparent glaze
DimensionsOVERALL: 14 7/16 × 11 5/8 × 5 5/8 in. (36.6 × 29.5 × 14.3 cm)
ClassificationsCeramics
Credit LineGift of Ira and Nancy Koger, 2001
Object numberSN11122.199
An example of Dehua ware from a later period, this work depicts Xiwangmu, the Queen Mother of the West, surrounded by a handmaid and musicians. A tree branch bearing giant peaches frames the grouping. Xiwangmu has appeared in Chinese religious practices and imagery since before the 3rd century BCE, and this piece highlights her role as a Daoist immortal. Xiwangmu holds court over a paradise called Mount Kunlun where the peaches of immortality grow. In addition to her attendants, a phoenix accompanies Xiwangmu. Phoenixes, like peaches, symbolize longevity and have been associated with Xiwangmu since at least the Yuan dynasty (1279–1368).
On View
On viewLocation
- Center for Asian Art, 3rd floor, Lobby, Case B
17th century
17th century
17th century
17th century
18th century
mid-17th century
early 17th century
late 18th-19th century