Teapot

China

19th century

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Snowstorm, ground covered with snow. Standing woman wearing clogs. Left hand holding umbrella, right hand holding up robe; figures, stone wall, trees in background.
No. 23 Miyamoto Musashi, Shirakura Dengoemon, and Itohagi, Utagawa Kunisada, ink and color on paper
Pentaptych - An no Heibei
C9-This monumental pitcher from Calcutta has a body chased with stiff leaves below a band of figures dancing and playing musical instruments. The pitcher's handle is of particular note, formed by Vishnu's Matsya's Avatar, (a figure emerging from the mouth of a fish) and holding twisted and entwined serpents. Its upper body is adorned with zodiac symbols. Calcutta was an extremely cosmopolitan city, and, in addition to Hindu images, important Muslim, Buddhist, and even festivals are sometimes represented and intertwined in its historical iconography and art. The symbols of the zodiac are part of the Calcutta tradition that often crosses cultural borders.