Page 228 - Nov. 27, 2019 Christie's Important Works of Art HK

THE PROPERTY OF AN ASIAN COLLECTOR
3088

A PAIR OF LARGE FAMILLE ROSE ᪺Գ⛥ ◢ྑⅯ㶐ഭːര
‘HUNDRED DEER’ HU-FORM VASES ⎋㾬ཉ㎜ᇨम▼㧩೰Ǯ໶㙛Օ㘻ǯݯං㙁ᙻԳ㪏卿⯍ᛮ᳖ݏ⤁խᝳ῟㙁ǯ
GUANGXU PERIOD (1875-1908) ᫉≡⫒ӳ᧘㱈㾬㯔卿㯸ַᆨ߰जࣻ⩠ٳᘹצ೥ᇑ ჺ ᝲ ᚚᐽ߅
Each vase is decorated with a herd of deer and their young, ⎏ᐽ৅ ⽚卿սࣿ⡥⡙צ೥ᇑ ჺ ᝲ ᚚ⎏ᐽ৅ ⽚ǯ
grazing, gamboling and resting in a lush landscape of pine and ≡ᄓपᝧǸഌ᳖Գ㪏ჺㅳǹ█⡚༕Ꮴ᪪ǯ
peach trees and a meandering stream flowing through blue-shaded
rock formations from high mountains in the distance. On the
shoulders, each side is flanked with realistically modelled deer-
head handles. The base of each is inscribed with an apocryphal
Qianlong six-character mark in iron-red.
18 in. (45.8 cm.) high
HK$200,000-300,000 US$26,000-38,000
Vases of this form and decoration enjoyed popularity during the reign
of the Qianlong Emperor (1736-1795), and continued to remain popular
through the 19th century and into the Guangxu period (1875-1908).
A vase similar to the present pair was sold at Christie’s London, 9
November 2004, lot 182; another similar one was sold at Christie’s New
York, 22-23 March 2018, lot 834.
The ‘hundred deer’ motif was very popular as the landscape depicted
contains important symbolic references. The deer has a long history in
Chinese art as it refers to the rebus in which the Chinese word for ‘deer’
is a homophone for ‘emolument’ or ‘civil service salary’; the ‘hundred
deer’ therefore represent the ultimate success, a career in civil service
in Imperial China. The deer is also associated with Daoism and the
Star God of Longevity, Shoulao, while the inclusion of peaches in the
decoration is further symbolic of longevity. As such, the subject-matter
on the present vase has a multitude of auspicious connotations.

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