Of tapering oviform with waisted neck and flaring rim, painted with petal-form panels enclosing various narrative scenes relating to the twenty-four paragons of filial piety, on a diaper and lattice ground, with a band of leaf-shaped panels enclosing foliage at the neck and above the foot.
Footnote: One of the most important virtues in Confucianism is called filial piety, xiao. It denotes the respect the child has to show to his parents, no matter if they are still living or dead.
In the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368) a scholar named Guo Jujing collected twenty-four tales of extraordinary examples of filial piety in the book entitled The Twenty-four Paragons of Filial Piety. Also known as Yizi, Guo Jujing was a native of Datian County, in Fujian Province, and apart from being a poet was himself renowned for his filial qualities.
It is said that it was grieving his father's death which prompted him to comb the histories in search of true stories of the finest examples of filial respect, as practiced by devoted children throughout the centuries. He selected twenty-four such paragons, and penned a verse to eulogize each authentic account of filial practice. Then he told a story of the events that lead to each son or daughter's exemplary conduct.
The twenty four stories appear in the following order on the vase:
UPPER REGISTER
- Taking On Menial Labour to Support His Mother: Jiang Ge
- Bringing Deer's Milk to His Ailing Parents: Young Master Tan
- Picking Mulberries For His Mother: Cai Shun
- Costumes And Pranks To Amuse His Parents: Lao Laizi
- Filial Conduct That Impressed The Gods: Shun The Great
- Serving Wooden Statues Of His Parents: Ding Lan
- Carrying Loads Of Rice On His Back To Feed His Parents: Zi Lu
- A Bubbling Spring And Leaping Carp: Jiang Shi
MIDDLE REGISTER
- Burying His Son To Save His Mother: Guo Ju
- Never Tiring Of Feeding Milk To Her Mother-In-Law: Lady Tang
- Personally Scrubbing His Mother's Chamber Pot: Huang Tingjian
- Resigning Office To Search For His Mother: Zhu Shouchang
- Clad In A Threadbare Jacket, He Tolerated His Cruel Stepmother: Min Ziqian
- Stealing Oranges To Take Home For His Mother: Lu Ji
- He Fanned The Pillow And Warmed the Sheets: Huang Xiang
- Personally Checking His Mother's Prescriptions: The Learned Emperor Of Han
LOWER REGISTER
- His Heart Was Pained When His Mother Bit Her Finger: Zeng Shen
- Tears That Brought Bamboo Shoots From The Frozen Earth: Meng Zong
- Lying Down On The Ice To Get Carp For His Stepmother: Wang Xiang
- Deeply Concerned, He Tasted His Father's Stool: Yu Qianlou
- Attracting Mosquitoes To Drink His Blood: Wu Meng
- Crying By The Grave When Thunder Rolled: Wang Weiyuan
- Wrestling With A Tiger To Save His Father: Yang Xiang
- Entering Servitude To Pay For His Father's Funeral: Dong Yong
