Description
This artifact was crafted from an olive pit by the renowned ivory artisan Chen Zuzhang in 1737. It features a boat with a bamboo-matted canopy. Both sides of the cabin have sliding windows that can open and close, revealing a fully furnished interior equipped with a table, chairs, and cooked food. The boat carries eight figures, representing the story of Su Shi’s visit to the Red Cliffs. The bottom of the boat is meticulously inscribed in semi-cursive script the full text of Su Shi’s “Latter Ode to the Red Cliff” and includes Chen Zuzhang’s signature mark. This miniature vessel with the age-long literary masterpiece encapsulates the imagery of moonlit boating through its characters’ expressions, spatial arrangement, and detailed carvings. As observers slide open the tiny windows, they may feel as if they are sitting by the window with Su Shi, touring the Red Cliffs under the moonlight and experiencing the thrill of “traveling on a single reed, commanding views of vast expanses.”
Miniature olive nut carving was a popular folk craft in the Jiangnan region during the Ming dynasty, utilizing the hard pits of daily consumed or medicinal fruits for their durability, fine texture, and natural shapes, combined with various carving techniques such as full-relief, bas-relief, and openwork. The prevalence of poetry and historical figure-based artworks reflects the profound influence of literati taste on folk crafts from the mid-to-late Ming dynasties onward. This artifact demonstrates the presence of Guangdong craft techniques in the imperial workshops during the Qianlong era, and reflects the influence of southern craft traditions on imperial taste, exemplifying the notion of “Suzhou style, Guangzhou craftsmanship” inside the Qianlong court.