Illustrated Compendium of Materia Medica (Vol. 6)

Page 6

Sponge Gourd

The Sponge Gourd original: 絲瓜 (sigua), the Luffa was first included in the Vegetable Category of the Compendium of Materia Medica original: Bencao Gangmu, the definitive 16th-century pharmaceutical text by Li Shizhen. It is cultivated everywhere. Its pulp contains a network of fibers, which is why it is commonly called the "Silk Gourd." It is used as a substitute for a washcloth. The Compendium records various medicinal formulas using this plant, which have proven to be quite effective. This gourd does not possess a strong flavor and is not particularly suited to everyone's palate. However, it is easy for common folk to plant and is very hardy; it can be grown in any vacant patch of land. In the regions of the rivers and lakes, some gourds grow as long as five or six feet.

A poem by Zhu Beishan A poet of the Yuan or Ming era reads:

After several days of rain, the sky clears and autumn grass grows tall;
The sponge gourd vines extend, climbing up the tiled walls.

The image of an old garden’s autumn vines is brought vividly to life by these lines. Another poem by Zhao Meiyin says:

Yellow flowers fade away as the green body grows long;
Wrapped in a hundred knots of silk, it endures the morning frost.
It thins until it can be held in a single pinch;
Then it brushes a person’s face, stained with the scent of rouge.

Reflecting on the final line, it likely refers to the gourd’s use as a washcloth specifically for removing makeup or cleansing the skin.

According to the Notes from the Old Learned Hut original: Lao Xue An Bi Ji, a collection of sketches and observations by the Southern Song poet Lu You: "Using a sponge gourd to scrub an inkstone a stone used to grind ink for calligraphy removes all leftover residue completely without damaging the stone's surface." Thus, what began as a common substitute for kuai original: 蒯 (kuai), a type of coarse sedge or grass used for scrubbing has eventually earned a place at the tables of the refined and elegant.