Mark sources cited
Tea names on caddy lids
Four tea caddies carry tea names on the tops of their lids, where a reader could see them before opening the vessels.
On this page
Start with the reading
六安、珠蘭、雨前、蓮心
Read the lid and the container shape independently. On no. 93 the caddy has six sides, its lid is round, and the two characters 蓮心 run vertically across the upper face of that lid. The photograph anchors the reading to the lid itself. The rubbing makes the strokes easier to follow. Use the same distinction for 珠蘭 on no. 91.
A documented vessel
Catalogue nos. 90–93 read 六安, 珠蘭, 雨前 and 蓮心 respectively. On the six-sided caddy, no. 93, a photograph and rubbing show 蓮心 cut vertically into the upper face of the round lid. [1]
How far the evidence goes
The labels document the names chosen for these caddies. What each vessel actually held remains unknown. [1]
Sources and exact locations
- 故宫博物院编，王健华主编，《你应该知道的200件宜兴紫砂》，紫禁城出版社，2007. ISBN 978-7-80047-648-8. no. 90, p. 131, PDF 134 · no. 91, p. 132–133, PDF 135–136 · no. 92, p. 134–135, PDF 137–138 · no. 93, p. 136, PDF 139 · 故宫博物院.