28 mars 2024
Gold jue (wine cup) from the mausoleum of Emperor Wanli (1573-1620)
One of the four gold jue (wine cup) from the mausoleum of Emperor Wanli (1573-1620), 12.9 cm length, 13.2 cm height, 299 gr weight. Inscribed on the rim is "Made by the Silver Bureau in 1620, weighing eight taels.".
Historical records show that Emperor Wanli was fond of alcohol and even risked being deposed by his devoutly Buddhist mother, Empress Dowager Li, after a bout of drunken madness. When years later, a minister submitted a memorial criticizing his excessive drinking, he defended himself declaring, "I enjoy wine; who doesn't drink?".
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