The body of the vase is fully decorated with 24 panels, meticulously arranged in detail. These panels illustrate scenes from the ‘Twenty-Four Scenes of Filial Piety’ (二十四孝图), an ancient Chinese anthology of exemplary stories about filial piety. The lower part of the vase is adorned with floral and antiquity motifs. The ‘Twenty-Four Scenes of Filial Piety’ is a collection of famous stories from ancient China, describing the exploits of 24 exemplary sons. Each story highlights the deep and sincere devotion of these sons to their parents, which was widespread in antiquity to educate future generations on the importance of filial respect and piety.
The stories depicted on the vase include:
1. Moving Heaven with Filial Piety: Shun, despite his parents' abuse, remained pious and eventually moved heaven, becoming emperor.
2. Tasting Medicines: Emperor Han Wendi Liu Heng personally tasted medicines to ensure they were safe for his sick mother.
3. Biting a Finger and Feeling Pain in the Heart: Zeng Shen's mother bit a finger to warn him, and he felt pain in his heart, demonstrating the mother-son bond.
4. Carrying Rice for a Hundred Li: Zhong You carried rice for a long distance to serve his parents.
5. Wearing Clothes Made of Reeds to Please Mother: Min Ziqian, abused by his stepmother, wore clothes made of reeds but remained obedient, moving his father.
6. Offering Deer Milk to Parents: Tanzi sought deer milk for his mother, venturing into the deep woods dressed as a deer.
7. Playing in Colourful Clothes to Amuse Parents: Lao Laizi, dressed as a child, played to amuse his elderly parents.
8. Selling Himself to Bury Father: Dong Yong sold himself as a slave to finance his father's burial, and then met a heavenly maiden who helped him regain his freedom.
9. Carving Wooden Statues to Honour Parents: Cai Zhong's son carved stone statues to express his filial piety.
10. Working as a Labourer to Support Mother: Jiang Ge sold himself as a slave to support his parents.
11. Hiding Oranges for Mother: Young Lu Ji hid oranges in his clothes to take them home for his mother.
12. Burying the Son to Feed the Mother: Guo Ju intended to bury his son to save food for his mother, but found gold while digging.
13. Airing the Pillow and Warming the Blanket: Wang Xiang fished through the ice in winter to feed his stepmother.
14. Picking Blackberries Separately: Cai Shun would pick blackberries by putting the best ones in separate containers for his mother.
15. Springing Carp: Jiang Shi's wife Pang was devoted to her mother-in-law, often fetching water from the river and preparing carp for her.
16. Crying at the Tomb during Thunderstorms: Wang Pou used to accompany his mother's tomb during thunderstorms, as she was afraid of thunder.
17. Feeding the Mother-in-law with Devotion: Zhou Ju's wife used to nurse her mother-in-law with great care.
18. Lying on the Ice to Catch Carp: Wang Xiang would lie on the ice to catch carp for his stepmother during the harsh winter.
19. Allowing Mosquitoes to Feed on Himself: Wu Meng would sit naked beside his father's bed on summer nights, allowing mosquitoes to sting him instead of his father.
20. Saving Father from a Tiger: Yang Xiang risked his life to save his father from a tiger.
21. Crying for Bamboo Shoots: Meng Zong cried next to the bamboo, and his tears made the bamboo sprout to feed his mother.
22. Tasting Faeces to Diagnose Illness: Yu Qianlou tasted his father's faeces to diagnose illness, deeply concerned.
23. Abandoning Career to Seek Mother: Zhu Shouchang gave up his official position to seek his biological mother.
24. Cleaning Mother's Nightjar: Huang Tingjian cleaned his mother's nightjar daily, showing the utmost filial devotion.