Unparalleled Garden (Lychee Fruits)
Qi Baishi, Unparalleled Garden (Lychee Fruits), 1945/1955, color woodblock print on paper, Gift of Donald and Mel Jenkins, © unknown, research required, 67.15.2
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- Title
Unparalleled Garden (Lychee Fruits)
- Related Titles
original language: 名園無二
transliterated: Ming yuan mu er
- Artist
- Date
1945/1955
- Medium
color woodblock print on paper
- Dimensions (H x W x D)
image: 8 7/8 in x 12 1/16 in; sheet: 12 9/16 in x 17 in
- Inscriptions & Markings
seal: 齊大, printed, lower left Transliteration: Qida Language: Chinese
signature: 白石, print, left edge Transliteration: Baishi Language: Chinese
title: 名園無二, print, left edge Transliteration (Translation): Ming yuan wu er (unparalleled garden) Language: Chinese Description: title
- Collection Area
Asian Art; Graphic Arts
- Category
Prints
- Object Type
relief print
- Culture
Chinese
- Credit Line
Gift of Donald and Mel Jenkins
- Accession Number
67.15.2
- Copyright
© unknown, research required
- Terms
Traditionally, the lychee fruit has been regarded as auspicious because the pronunciation of its name in Chinese: li (茘) is a homophone for the Chinese character for luck, li of jili (吉利). In Chinese lore, the lychee symbolizes fortune, good health and longevity, and the vitality of the nation and its people.
From 1902 to 1909, Baishi traveled extensively throughout China. It was during his stay in Qinzhou, a port at the southernmost part of the country, that he learned about lychee for the first time. It was love at first taste. Baishi said, "The peony is the king of flowers, and the lychee is the best among fruit."
