Gourd-shaped tobacco pouch. Peach colored satin front with green bamboo embroidered in satin, stem, and long stitch. Sapphire blue satin back quotes the verse, “With the slanting belt of peach blossoms, the whole creek is covered with smoke” by Littlehill (Hsiao Shan) in white satin stitch embroidery. (Fide: Ilse Fang, 8/28/2001, character for “smoke” is same as for “haze”. Also, gourds have medical, poisonous, or refreshing characteristics - and the spirit who dispels evil spirits has a gourd - so gourds can hold something spiritual and effective.) The gourd is outlined with a blue and white tape. It combines the bottom parts, but frames the top two sections separately. Tacks over bottom part and in two different places right and left above, allow just one finger to be inserted to pick out the tobacco. The 25.5 cm long, looped hanging cord suggests that this pouch was to be worn from the shoulder button of a Manchu tunic.
Donor:
Ilse Martin Fang
Collection place:
Peking, Beijing province, China
Verbatim coll. place:
China. Given to Ilse Fang in Peking by Erich Wolters, antique dealer.