Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

Ashmolean − Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

Beauties and Heroes: Legends and Stories in Chinese Art

(from 21st Jan until 15th Jul 2012)

Explore paintings, prints and papercuts depicting legendary figures from Chinese folklore.

Detail of Heroes from The Water Margin, by Shi Dawei, Shanghai, 2003 (Museum No: EA2007.194)
Scene from White Snakefront

© the artist's estate

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Scene from White Snake

  • Description

    The story of White Snake originated in the 13th century, and through oral storytelling developed into different versions. A heavenly snake-turned-beauty marries Xu Xian, who saved her in his previous life. A knowing monk persuades Xu to give the beauty drugged wine that will reveal her identity, and she is depicted in this painting having just drunk it. The widely known version in the Qing opera has a happy ending in which the White Snake’s son passes his civil service exam and saves her from the monk’s quelling. The opera is often played on the fifth day of the fifth month when realgar wine is used to drive away poisonous creatures such as snakes.

  • Details

    show all
    Associated place
    Asia › China › Jiangsu province › Nanjing (place of creation)
    Date
    1990
    Artist/maker
    Gao Made (1919 - 2007) (artist)
    Material and technique
    ink and colour on paper
    Dimensions
    frame 61 x 66 x 2.5 cm (height x width x depth)
    painting 33 x 42 cm (height x width)
    Material index
    processed material › paper
    Technique index
    decorated › painted,
    painted,
    covered › coated › painted,
    marked › painted,
    drawn (image) › line drawing › brush drawing
    Object type index
    visual representation › painting,
    visual representation › album
    No. of items
    1
    Credit line
    Presented in honour of the forthcoming 70th birthdays of Jose Mauricio and Angelita Trinidad Reyes, 1995.
    Accession no.
    EA1995.190

  • Further reading

    Oxford: Ashmolean Museum, 24 September-1 December 1996, Modern Chinese Paintings: The Reyes Collection in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, Vainker, Shelagh (Oxford: Ashmolean Museum, 1996), no. 23 on p. 29, illus. p. 29 fig. 23

Past Exhibition

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Location

    • currently in research collection

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