15. Ebony (wumu) Carving of a Gourd or Fruit
Qing dynasty, 18th - 19th century
Height: 8.8cm
Width: 6.6cm
The fruit or vegetable represented here may be a member of the gourd family called chayote (sechium edule). While this plant was probably first cultivated in Central America from as early as the eighth century, it gradually spread to Europe and Asia during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It is primarily grown in the south of China where is it known as foshougua (Buddha’s hand gourd).
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