Page 20 - Multifarious Enamels Chiense Art.pdf
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and hinds -since white deer were regarded as being especially ໝ䢯ǗሉៈಠǘᕖǙ㶏ڋᢳ䢲⧀᳦͗Γǚ̃〕䢲
auspicious. The Jin dynasty scholar Ge Hong ( ⮓ᨍ AD 283- ۷̷ᕖǙڋໝ᳦⯢㶏䢲̩۠Ⅾໝ᳦Ⅽ㶏ǚ̃をǐ
343) wrote in his Baopuzi ( ሉᕹಠ The Master Who Embraces
ۿ⿉䢲Ⅽ㶏⌔᳦གྷໝ↠̃࿋䢲͞⻢ۄ⎼ෙ
Simplicity) that the deer can live one thousand years and turns
white after five hundred years. A white deer therefore symbolises ǐ
long life, as well as good fortune and nobility.
ᘿᎯˮ४ҷ⚗ᐷ٪䢲㶏ഹᕖˏ̮૯⡩ᶖ⣵でⅲܑ
More generally, deer had a number of other auspicious associations
⎟ഄჍǐ⡁ັΓ͠ᙳ⩇㶏Ǐ͗㴤Ǐᙈ⧀ᖲ៉䢲
in traditional Chinese culture. Shoulao, the Star God of Longevity,
ᆵ͠㶏ۢ܍ḵⅳㅿ࿋㟌ǐ䢲⇂ҷ㶏ᒶႥˏ⣵
is usually depicted accompanied by a spotted deer, crane, peach
and pine tree. Each of these, including the deer, thus represents ⿌ྴ㤉⨳͗⫁ⅲῊἄǐബ❡̩ྐ㤉⨳䢲⾲͠ᗊഓ
long life. Deer were also believed to be the only animals that are ♡♡ⅲᙈᗋ䢲⎄ᥒ㟌˙⡁̃࿘ݫ̃ᢁ֨ǐ⚳˖
able to locate lingzhi, the fungus of immortality. Multicoloured
ᆵ㏽䢲ۿ⿉ǙⅮ㶏ǚ㧍ᖏ䢮㔌ᙈݸ㤉⨳⡅ീᵁ䢯
lingzhi fungus are included in the composition on the current
㨪ܰ⎼༑ഔ̃㧖ǐ
vase, as are fruit-laden peach branches, emphasising the wish for
longevity. The theme of ‘a hundred deer’, is therefore an especially
㐝㧛Ⅾ㶏ബዟഘ⟰㶏ॼๅ൶⊅Ǐ⯢⠢ᗆᕱǏⷨ
potent wish for health, happiness, good fortune, and long life,
especially when combined with peaches and lingzhi fungus. ⷆ᪹ᬲ̃ˮྸྫྷ䢲ᑻྖ㧩̞ສ㪰㪐㐞ᓣ൶᥅̃
؞؝䢲̷ۿ㕵ήⅴ७ᗆݸ६̃ᓣ⦱䢲⡊㶏
The depiction of the deer in a rocky, wooded, landscape with
winding streams on these vases was not only intended to ᒶՒ㟢㨩㨳ⅲ˹⿀ؽḵ̃ˏǐᒀᑞ㤍㘌ࣰᓁᕩૠ
showcase the ceramic artists’ skill in painting such encircling ࠉ̣͞䢲⚗ᦱ⡅ຄᕖ⧁ཇ७ᗆ⩜ॠⅲҷ⚗ǐ␂
panoramas, but was undoubtedly intended to recall imperial
ⅴ䢮ՌԬע ⦰ ໝॼΨ䢯Ꭿを㑰⦪ပ̞
gardens and hunting parks, which were frequently stocked with
㟌䢮͎⾾䢯͠⾾⦰⾾ڙⅲ˖ᗆ⩜䢲㓳ⅴ೫
animals - especially deer. As early as the Bronze Age dynasties
of Xia and Shang, their rulers are traditionally believed to have ⅲ७ᗆםՖՓᅃݸ⻍ἁ̃ǐᮗຠ䢮ՌԬע
constructed gardens and parks. The first Qin dynasty emperor, Qin ⦰ ໝॼΨ䢯ᕍᏅཇ७䢲˩〴́ǐ
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