清中期 琥珀佛手盒|Box in the shape of a “Buddha’s hand” citron

Unknown

19th century · Amber · Asian Art

The citron-shape of this box has been nicknamed Buddha’s hand (foshou) because the fingerlike segments that grow from the stem of a bright yellow citrus fruit are thought to resemble one of the ritual gestures (mudras) found in Buddhist art. Foshou is also a rebus in which the term fo, or Buddha, serves as a homonym for good fortune (fu), while the term for hand (shou) equals longevity (shou).

Artist

Unknown

Date

19th century

Medium

Amber

Culture

China

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Bequest of Edmund C. Converse, 1921