Gourd
Overview
The dried bottle gourd is both a practical vessel and the conventional attribute of the medicine-carrying immortal in the tradition's iconography.
Meaning
The gourd is the emblem of the container and of the medicine bottle — the dried vessel that carries what heals.
Traditional Interpretation
Sources associate the gourd with the figure of the itinerant healer, and separately with the wine container of the recluse.
Related Concepts
FAQ
What does gourd symbolize in Chinese tradition?
The gourd is the emblem of the container and of the medicine bottle — the dried vessel that carries what heals. The dried bottle gourd is both a practical vessel and the conventional attribute of the medicine-carrying immortal in the tradition's iconography.
What does the gourd stand for?
It is one of the standard plants with an agreed reading. The gourd is the emblem of the container and of the medicine bottle — the dried vessel that carries what heals. The iconographic role is the dominant reading: the gourd appears in the tradition mostly because of who carries it.
How is gourd read in Chinese tradition?
Sources associate the gourd with the figure of the itinerant healer, and separately with the wine container of the recluse. It is grouped under Earth (土) in the five-element system.
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