Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Fruit Plate
Ding Family Workshop Chinese
Not on view
The luxurious arrangement of fruit in this print serves up a visual pun, as the seeds (zi) in the open pomegranate are homophonic with the character for “son.” The fruit therefore symbolizes the wish for male offspring to ensure the family line over generations. The print’s palette of pastel pink and green resonate with that of contemporary porcelain.
The Ding Family Workshop is known for using seven or more color woodblocks to produce prints rich in ink tonality and chromatic diversity. The print’s visual interest is further enhanced by the “blindpressed” embossing technique that raises portions of the composition into low relief.
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