Baochan
宝蟾
“Precious Toad”
Her Story
Maid to Xia Jingui, Xue Pan’s wife, and her instrument in the war Jingui runs from inside her own marriage. Jingui uses her against Xiangling, then puts her deliberately in Xue Pan’s way; he takes her as a concubine, which is exactly what her mistress intended. It buys Jingui leverage over her husband and costs her a servant, because from that point Baochan has a position of her own and the alliance between the two women curdles.
In Xiang Li's Hands
Both sheets give her the same gesture — a tray of tea things balanced flat on one raised palm, hip cocked, chin down. The first is pale: pink robe, slate jacket, bare ground. The second darkens to wine-red and sets a spotted toad in a crescent arc behind her. 蟾 is the moon-toad; her name has become the scenery.
The Calligraphy
Inscribed 宝蟾 on both sheets, the full two-character name with no diminutive — a maid already being addressed like someone with standing.
Connections
- Xia Jingui 夏金桂 — her mistress, who hands her to Xue Pan to gain a hold over him.
- Xue Pan 薛蟠 — Jingui’s husband, who takes her as a concubine.
- Xiangling 香菱 — the concubine Jingui sets out to destroy, using Baochan to do it.
Others of the same kind · maid – Baochai (All-spice Court / 蘅蕪苑) Ying'er 莺儿 · Wenxing 文杏 · Dian'er 靛儿 · Zhen'er 臻儿 · Tongxi 同喜 · Tonggui 同贵 · Xiaoluo 小螺 · Xiaoshe'r 小舍儿
Named on these pages Xiaoshe'r 小舍儿
Dream of the Red Chamber
Xiang Li painted all 413 characters of the novel between 1975 and 1985, the first person to complete the entire cast. See the whole collection · Chinese Empresses
