In Ancient China, Pet Crickets Spent the Winter in Opulent Gourds

Spherical cricket container, date unknown, artist unknown. 

MINNEAPOLIS INSTITUTE OF ART/PUBLIC DOMAIN

In Ancient China, Pet Crickets Spent the Winter in Opulent Gourds


More than functional, these fleshy fruits developed into a striking art form.


BY CLAIRE VOON
JUNE 05, 2019 

Whether for sport or for song, crickets are still collected in China, although their dwellings these days are typically mass-produced. The gourd-molding technique had petered out by the time Laufer penned his report—replaced, in his opinion, by “poor modern imitations.” Vendors at specialty markets today are more likely to sell crickets in bamboo baskets, plastic containers, and even toilet rolls that serve as makeshift tubes. These are certainly less beautiful to behold than elegant gourds, but they speak to the enduring value of the cricket’s chirp—still one of the most cherished sounds in Chinese culture.

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