Peanuts and jujube dates

China

Not on view

In this charming carving, a master craftsman has cleverly adapted the sculptural design to the stone’s original shape and colors. The artist used the translucent brown gem to create the glazed surface of the fruit and the yellowish opaque crust for the bumpy look of the peanut shells. The peanuts and jujube dates are rebuses: the words rhyme with the phrase “may you have children soon” (zao sheng gui zi), a common wish for newly married couples.

Peanuts and jujube dates, Chalcedony, China

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