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Li Ping'er Agreeing to Marry Jiang Zhushan
Li Ping'er Agreeing to Marry Jiang Zhushan

Li Ping'er Agreeing to Marry Jiang Zhushan

Original Language Title李瓶兒許嫁蔣竹山（金瓶梅插畫冊）
Album TitleIllustrations of Scenes from The Plum in the Golden Vase (Jin Ping Mei)
CultureChinese
Date18th century
MediumAlbum leaf; ink and color on silk
DimensionsImage: 15 1/2 x 12 1/2 inches (39.37 x 31.75 cm)
Sheet: 19 1/2 x 14 1/2 inches (49.53 x 36.83 cm)
Credit LinePurchase: William Rockhill Nelson Trust through the George H. and Elizabeth O. Davis Fund
Object number2006.18.6
InscribedUpper right
On View
Not on view
Collections
DescriptionThe twelve album leaves were painted on silk in rich colors and meticulous details. Each bears a cartouche on the upper right of the mount. The inscription identifies each episode from the popular novel, the Jinpingmei (The Plum in the Golden Vase). Eleven of the twelve leaves display figures in architectural settings, and one leaf is dominated by a river landscape.Gallery Label

This album leaf is from an erotic yet satirical novel from the late 1500s. The novel tells the story of several daring concubines and mistresses in the circle of a corrupt merchant, Master Ximen. The leading women, Golden Lotus (Pan Jinlian) and Little Vase (Li Ping’er), not only enjoy seducing men but also plot malicious schemes to gain access to their affluent lifestyles.

To convey both the luxurious lifestyle and eroticism in the novel, the painters depict these women with fashionable hairdos and colorful outfits. Looking closely, some women slip their tiny bound feet from under their long skirts, subtly suggesting they are available.

When her lover Master Ximen is away, out of loneliness, Little Vase (Li Ping’er) marries a man who takes a repair job at her home.



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