芰
(archaic) water caltrop (Trapa natans)
Closest English meanings
water chestnut·caltrop
The Calligrapher — Wáng Duó 王铎
Late-Ming cursive master of monumental, turbulent brushwork.
明末清初 calligrapher (1592–1652), master of cursive script/running script — late-Ming master of wet-ink, falling-and-rising running cursive. late Ming–early Qing
Cultural Story
Qu Yuan dressed himself in caltrop leaves and lotus as garments of virtue, and Jiangnan girls sang caltrop-picking songs while working the lakes, boats rocking among the floating rosettes. The water caltrop's hard black horn, resembling a bat or a bull's head, made it a curiosity even among ancient botanists cataloging riverside plants.
Common words & phrases
- 芰荷 lotus and caltrop
- 芰菱 water chestnut
Read the story behind the character
A summer essay on Jiangnan water towns inevitably quotes the old caltrop-lotus line, city wetland signs identify the floating rosettes for joggers, and a snack stall sells boiled caltrops cracked like chestnuts. A cooking vlogger stirs caltrop and lotus into a clear soup, calling it the taste of an ancient poem.
Own this character
Purchase delivers the original SVG of this glyph, brushed by Wáng Duó 王铎, ready to place on skin, paper, or screen.