FRANZ Collection - Artworks

Peerage and Wealth The pronunciation of gourds in Chinese is Hu Lu, which sounds similar to other Chinese words Hu Lu, meaning “happiness and wealth” respectively. Grasshoppers are also called Guo Guo, which is near homophonous to Guan, meaning “an official position.” Moreover, the pronunciation of cockscombs is Ji Guan Hua, which contains a homophone of another Chinese word Guan, meaning “an official position,” and chrysanthemums Ju Hua include a homophone of yet another word Ju, meaning “to live or rest” in Chinese. The designers took advantage of all these homophones to create the vase: The grasshopper rests on the cockscomb, symbolizing “an official title over another title,” which means stepping up the hierarchy ladder in the traditional bureaucracy. The blossoming chrysanthemum represents the highest-ranking official in ancient China. Therefore, the vase symbolizes “having a successful official career” and “being well known everywhere because of one’s high rank.”