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Medicine Water Dropper of Immortal Lu Dongbin stock #JHmedicineDr
$750
Circa 1850, an extremely rare water/medicine dropper figurine of one of the eight immortals, he is Lu Dongbin, usually identified wearing a sword on his back. Lu Dongbin is highly venerated throughout China, and many local shrines have been built in his honor. At first you would think this to be a ewer, but there is no lid, only a protruded side hole where the thumb is placed over it, to control the water flow. I have experimented in doing just that and found that it trickles to a single drop at a time. It was most likely used for measuring small amounts of medicine for a mixture, but would work just as well for the scholar as a water dropper. It is covered in a rich iron glaze that projects a high silver sheen, not unlike the northern black-wares of Fujian province. The biscuit is a pale buff creme color, which is heavily soiled, creating a beautiful patina. We conservatively date this to the early to mid 19th century, and could very well be older. It is in near pristine condition with the exception of a tiny nick on the underside of the pour spout. The water dropper measures 4.5 inches high and is priced according to rarity and unusual subject matter. |
