Ming herbal (painting): Stephania

Painting of stephania (qianjinteng) in the meticulous (gongbi) style, in colour on silk, from Bencao tupu (Illustrated Herbal). The painted illustrations in Bencao tupu were jointly executed by Zhou Hu and Zhou Xi in 1644 (the final year of the Ming period). The explanatory texts were provided by Zhou Rongqi. The book was not completed: each volume was to have contained 14-15 paintings, but only 29 are extant. Zhou Rongqi writes: Stephania (qianjinteng, lit. thousand-gold-pieces vine) is also known as guteng (lit. old vine). It is a climbing plant with leaves like lotus leaves, approximately the size of a copper coin. The roots, stems and leaves are used in medicine. It has the medicinal effects of clearing heat and getting rid of damp, and relieving dysentery. It is used to treat dysentery with abdominal pain, acute sha diseases with abdominal pain, etc.

Stephania (qianjinteng)