IN THIS week’s slideshow, we showcase an earthen pot that was used in the days of yore for rice storage. Created to stockpile up to 28 gantang (exactly one gunny sack or roughly 80 kg) of rice, the earthen pots were used for its efficient use of space, protection from insects, rodents and birds and for easy maintenance.

The owner of this particular pot mentioned that it was nearly a hundred years old and was imported from China to Penang. The pot, handmade, also had many Chinese symbolisms carved into it. It featured, among others, a rabbit, a phoenix, bamboo, the lotus flower and a peony. View gallery below for slideshow and read below for the significance of the symbols.

• Rabbit: “It is an emblem of longevity, often depicted on porcelain.” (pg 225)
• Phoenix: “The phoenix is only supposed to appear in times of peace and prosperity... symbolises sun and warmth for summer and harvest” (pg 314)
• Bamboo: “The bamboo is an emblem of longevity owing probably to its durability, and to the fact it is evergreen and flourishes throughout winter.” (pg 60)
• Lotus: “The lotus is regarded as an emblem of summer and fruitfulness.” (pg 255)
• Peony: “The peony is regarded as an omen of good fortune.” (pg 311)

Source: Chinese Symbolism and Art Motifs: A Comprehensive Handbook on Symbolism in Chinese Art through the Ages

A later addition, the words “always full” gold-stamped on red paper, symbolic and representative of a successful household, are conspicuously attached to the storage pot.

Very apt indeed.

Reference

Williams, CAS, 2006 (4th Edition) Chinese Symbolism and Art Motifs: A Comprehensive Handbook on Symbolism in Chinese Art through the Ages, Tuttle Publishing

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