Pipa (Loquats)
1888
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
About the artist
1888
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Pipa (Loquats) is a 1888 unspecified by Xugu, a Chinese Orthodox School work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You see a small tree branch heavy with golden loquats, leaves curling at the edges. The fruit spills past the paper’s edge, as if the painting can’t contain it all. In 19th-century China, loquats meant luck and plenty—artists often painted them for merchants who wanted to show off their success. Xugu left the military to paint full-time, trading swords for brushes. If you like this quiet abundance, look up *Qing dynasty (1644-1911)* next.
The loquat is a plant native to China that produces a juicy, yellow fruit in early summer. The artist may have intentionally extended the branches beyond the paper to emphasize the abundance of fruit. Xugu’s subjects of flowers, goldfish, and loquats express wishes for abundance and wealth, and must have appealed to his patrons. Xugu gave up his career as a military official during the Taiping rebellion (1850–64) and became an itinerant monk who painted for a living. He spent the later years of his life in Shanghai and his fame as an artist is associated with that city.
Xugu inscribed his painting on the right, dedicating it to a Mr. Youshan. Two additional inscriptions by other writers were added later, each time the painting changed owners.
Read the full account in the museum source.
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