Presenting Lichee Fruit on a Carved Ice Platter, in the style of Tang Yin / Gai Qi (Kai Ch'i) / Attributed to

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Record Details

Accession Number
1982/2.51
Title
Presenting Lichee Fruit on a Carved Ice Platter, in the style of Tang Yin
Artist Nationality
Chinese
Artist Life Dates
(1774 - 1829)
Object Creation Date
circa 1900
Object Creation Place
Asia (continent)
China (nation)
Shanghai Shi (municipality)
Creation Place 1
Asia (continent)
Creation Place 2
China (nation)
Creation Place 3
Shanghai Shi (municipality)
Dimensions
165.26 cm x 39.4 cm (65 1/16 in. x 15 1/2 in.)
Century
20th century
Primary Object Classification
Painting
Primary Object Type
hanging scroll
Secondary Object Classification
Painting
Secondary Object Type
figure painting
Physical Description
Vertically long image. Ink on silk. Multiple figures gathered near a table. Vegetation in the lower left.
Subject Matter
The artist Gai Qi was from a family of Muslim origin that lived in southeastern China, near the port city of Shanghai. A professional painter living entirely on his art, he is best known for delicately rendered images of beautiful women. This garden scene of two young maids serving their mistress a platter of lichee fruit refers to the legendary incident in which when lichees were presented to Yang Guifei (719-756), the favorite consort of the Minghuang Emperor (r. 712–756) during the Tang dynasty. Lichees grow only in southern China, and the fruit was rushed north on horseback each summer to please the extravagant taste of Yang Guifei and her court ladies. One year when celebrating Yang’s birthday, the Emperor named his musical composition The Fragrance of Lichee. After Yang was killed in a riot, the annual arrival of the fruit reminded the emperor of his lost love and caused him great sorrow. This bittersweet motif is often found in Chinese literature and painting.
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Technical Details

Image Size
419 x 1341
File Size
41 KB
Record
1982/2.51
Link to this Item
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1982-sl-2.51/1982_2.51.jpg

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https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1982-SL-2.51:1982_2.51.JPG

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"Presenting Lichee Fruit on a Carved Ice Platter, in the style of Tang Yin; Gai Qi (Kai Ch'i); Attributed to." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1982-sl-2.51/1982_2.51.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed March 28, 2024.
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