A polychrome enameled plaqueDepicting King Goujian of Yue 'reclining on firewood and tasting bile' as part of his patriotic self-imposed ascetic discipline, the elaborately-attired noble here depicted in his nighttime studio, recumbent on a bed of reedy kindling about to bite down on the small green gall bladder suspended from the ceiling, the inscription reading shi xue [guo] chi [the weapon will avenge national shame], signed Chen Mingde with jichou nian zhong dong date (equivalent to the end of 1949).
12 5/8in (32cm) high