When the artist, Chu Chen-yung, was selected in the Taipei City Art Exhibition for the first time in 1987, this creation “Pumpkin” , was a prize winner. Every age is marked by the distinctiveness of its vessels, such as garlic-shaped vases and olive-shaped vases. Chu is known for his pumpkin-shaped vessels. The image of longevity emphasized by the preservation of the rich orange flesh of a pumpkin and the vitality and offspring implied by its numerous seeds in Chinese culture fully correspond to the creator’s ideal – “follow nature and stick to the original intention”.

This auction item, a slim-neck pumpkin-shaped vase, was shaped through the highly difficult throwing technique and created by the time-consuming and strenuous wood firing method for eight days before a seven-day cooling process. The narrow neck, the most difficult shape to create during the firing process, highlights the painstaking originality of the artist.