When a gourd is not yet ripe, it is covered with a mold engraved with a desired pattern, and as the gourd matures, the mold will mark the gourd with the pattern, making it look as if it were engraved. At the appropriate time, the mold is removed and the gourd is placed in the gourd, and the cricket is usually nurtured in the gourd to enjoy its sound. This is called “yin-yin. According to the “Jingdezhen Pottery Record,” it was fired at the Zhen kiln during the Qianlong period of the Qing dynasty (1736-1955).
