Chinese Porcelain Ba Xian Guo Hai Bitong

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Chinese porcelain Ba Xian Guo Hai bitong , a finely formed brush pot with gently sloping sides, a white glazed … Read more Chinese porcelain Ba Xian Guo Hai bitong , a finely formed brush pot with gently sloping sides, a white glazed interior and circular inset centered on the unglazed base. The body of the pot is decorated with a finely drawn, blue and white depiction of "The Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea" and a poem about this in blue, kaishu script opposite. A blue, four character, Kangxi reign mark, is glazed to the circular inset of the base. Circa Republic of China period, no later than mid century.

poem: The Eight Immortals Cross the Sea

"Mirages appear in varied forms,
Immortals gather, stirring the misty waves.
Clouds from the East, wind horses with thousand-year-old skills,
Each displays their supernatural powers, wondering how."

Eight Immortals Cross the Sea: According to legend, the group was invited every year to attend the Conference of the Magical Peach, hosted by the Queen Mother of the West. One year, on their way to the celestial party, they came to a vast sea. Instead of riding a cloud across, as they all can do, one of them suggested that they each use their special power to sail across the sea. The others all agreed, viewing it as a simple adventure. They threw their magic objects, such as the big fan, lotus flower and bottle gourd, into the sea, instantly forming a seagoing vessel to carry them to the party. Later, this story was transfigured into the popular Chinese idiom baxian guohai, gexian shentong, or literally “the Eight Immortals cross the sea, each revealing their divine power.” The idiom is now often quoted to mean that like the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, everyone in a group should resort to using their special prowess or skills in a competition or task. See less