Page 340 - Christies September 13 to 14th Fine Chinese Works of Art New York

(another view)

THE PROPERTY OF MARCHANT, EST. 1925
1343
A RARE BLUE AND WHITE ‘MONKEY AND DEER’ CIRCULAR BOX AND COVER
WANLI PERIOD (1563-1619)
The slightly raised center of the cover is decorated in dark underglaze blue with two deer standing
below a peach tree in which a monkey is disturbing a wasp nest while the other stands below ready to
catch it. The sides are decorated with four quatrefoil panels of birds perched on blossoming branches
above a key-fret border repeated on the box above a frieze of six horses leaping between clouds above
a band of wind-tossed waves and a narrow band of scroll encircling the foot ring.
8æ in. (22.2 cm.) diam.
$30,000-40,000

PROVENANCE
Takayanagi Collection, Tokyo.
The imagery on this box and cover is highly auspicious. The Chinese words for monkey (hou) and wasp
(feng) form a pun that wishes speedy advancement to the rank of marquis. The deer (lu) represent a
desire for good fortune or professional success, and are also being associated with immortality, since
deer were believed to be able to fnd lingzhi fungus which is a much favored symbol of immortality.
明萬曆 青花猴鹿圖蓋盒

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