White-Metal Water-Tobacco Pipe with Longevity Deity Medallions and Dragon Reliefs
Name/Title
White-Metal Water-Tobacco Pipe with Longevity Deity Medallions and Dragon ReliefsEntry/Object ID
ML0126Description
Elaborately decorated Chinese white-metal water-tobacco pipe with a tall curved stem rising from a rectangular reservoir. Its opposing sides feature colorful circular medallions depicting Shouxing, the Daoist longevity deity, accompanied by a deer and auspicious symbols, surrounded by applied dragon reliefs and butterfly-and-floral ornaments. Additional dragon medallions enrich the narrow sides, while repeating floral and geometric borders frame the vessel. The imagery combines traditional Chinese wishes for longevity, prosperity, protection, and good fortune with the practical design of a historical smoking apparatus. A square four-character seal-form mark beneath the reservoir offers a potential clue to workshop attribution.Category
Chinese Metal Art
Made/Created
Artist
Maker presently unidentifiedTime Period
20th CenturyEthnography
Cultural Region
Continent
AsiaCulture/Tribe
Chinese