Chinese Scholar's Gourd with Two Jade Ornaments and Yin Yang Painting

A gourd with a yin yang on its belly and a curling stem for a tail.

Chinese artisans made this scholar’s gourd with two jade ornaments and a yin yang painting in gourd in the late 19th or early 20th century. Decorated gourds have long been prized in China as curios and desk objects, and the yin yang is a familiar emblem of balance in Daoist thought. The bottle-shaped gourd has a long, curved stem and a polished, lacquered reddish-brown surface. A yin yang symbol is inlaid on the lower bulb, with small cords and jade ornaments tied near the waist.

About 17 inches tall. A philosopher’s desk toy that is also a perfectly good sculpture.