Li Taibo
Unknown Artist
1700s
Medium
amber
Dimensions
{"overall":{"height":0.057}}
Classification
Stone
Department
Chinese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Lois Clarke
Accession Number
1970.131
About this artwork
This piece of ochre amber is carved in the round in the form of Li Bai 李白 (701–762), also known as Li Taibai or Li Taibo, 李太白. He was a poet in the golden age of Chinese poetry. Around a thousand poems are attributed to him. Li’s eyes are closed, an arm wrapped around his wine jar, in a drunken sleep. Perched on his shoulder is a bat, considered a lucky symbol as the Chinese word for bat, 蝠 fú, is pronounced the same as “good fortune” 福. Deer, like the one nestled behind Li, traditionally symbol...