Bottle ID: 277

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RECTANGULAR INCISED WITH LANDSCAPE AND POEM

Date: 1750-1800

Height: 56 mm

Soapstone, well hollowed, of flattened rectangular form, of soft yellowish-brown tones, lightly incised on one side with a mountainous landscape, the reverse with a two character illegible signature and a poetic inscription reading:
"Blue mountains indistinct in mists,
waters stretching endlessly,
At autumn's end here South of the River
grasses are not yet withered".

Similar Examples:

Crane no. 241

Provenance:

Clare Lawrence Ltd.
Alexander Brody

Published:

Lawrence, Clare. The Alexander Brody Collection of Chinese Snuff Bottles, 1995, p. 28, no. 35

The verse quoted is taken from a poem entitled "Seeing Off Administrative Assistant Han Chuo to Yangzhou" by Du Mu (803 - 852) and is published in The Complete Poems of the Tang (Quantangshi). This collection of poems is the major source of surviving Tang Dynasty poems, and is one of the largest and most important collections of Chinese poetry. The Quantangshi was compiled in 1705 during the reign of Kangxi, although the poems themselves date from 618 - 907. Du Mu was one of the leading poets of the Tang Dynasty; his courtesy name was Muzhi and his artname was Fanchuan. Du Mu was born in Chang'an into a high ranking family and passed the Official Examinations in 827 at the age of 25. Although he held a number of official positions throughout the years in various cities, he never achieved a high rank, possibly due to disagreements relating to a factional dispute in 835. As a writer he took his influences from Du Fu, Li Bai, Han Yu and Liu Zongyuan and is best known for his sensual, lyrical poetry which blended classical imagery and striking wordplay.
In 1968 Roger Waters of Pink Floyd used lines from Du Mu's poem "Lotuses lean on each other in yearning" to create the lyrics for the song "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" (Album: A Saucerful of Secrets)!

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