Title
Ducks
Label
Ducks 鸭(yā)
Made in Jingdezhen, China, 1900-1925
Made of hard-paste porcelain
On loan from Felicia Warburg Rogan
Chinese wordplay connects these ducks to an unexpected pursuit—academia. The Chinese word for duck (yā 鸭) contains the symbol 甲(jiǎ), which historically describes the ranking of men who passed the highest level Chinese civil service exams that launched their government careers. The phrase expressing the wish to come first in the palace examination (yī jiǎyī míng一甲一名) can be represented by one duck (yì yā一鸭), due to their similar pronunciations.
These ducks are 20thcentury examples of a type of animal figure that has remained popular since the 18th century.
Made in Jingdezhen, China, 1900-1925
Made of hard-paste porcelain
On loan from Felicia Warburg Rogan
Chinese wordplay connects these ducks to an unexpected pursuit—academia. The Chinese word for duck (yā 鸭) contains the symbol 甲(jiǎ), which historically describes the ranking of men who passed the highest level Chinese civil service exams that launched their government careers. The phrase expressing the wish to come first in the palace examination (yī jiǎyī míng一甲一名) can be represented by one duck (yì yā一鸭), due to their similar pronunciations.
These ducks are 20thcentury examples of a type of animal figure that has remained popular since the 18th century.
Collection
Citation
“Ducks,” Museums at Washington and Lee University: Online Exhibits, accessed May 17, 2024, https://exhibits-museums.omeka.wlu.edu/items/show/367.