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Lot Essay
The decoration, shape and size of these vases are derived from the famille rose porcelain 'hundred deer' vases of the Qianlong period.
Although the porcelain 'hundred deer' vases simply have deer in a landscape setting, these cloisonné vases include both deer and cranes. The deer symbolise both career advancement and also long life, while the cranes are additional symbols of long life. This combination of deer and cranes appears on a small number of other 18th century cloisonné enamelled vessels. Deer running across the landscape and drinking at a stream with cranes flying overhead can, for example, be seen on a large 18th century cloisonné fish bowl in the Uldry collection (illustrated by H. Brinker and A. Lutz in Chinesisches Cloisonné, Die Sammlung Pierre Uldry, Museum Rietberg, Zurich, 1985, pls. 322, 322a-b). A cloisonné enamel hu-shaped vase decorated with deer as well as cranes in a landscape setting without handles was also sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 27 May 2008, lot 1876.
The 'hundred deer' motif is purely Chinese. The gambolling and prancing deer are references to the rebus where 'deer' in Chinese is a homophone for emolument or civil service salary; the 'hundred deer' therefore represent the ultimate success, a career in government service in imperial China.
Although the porcelain 'hundred deer' vases simply have deer in a landscape setting, these cloisonné vases include both deer and cranes. The deer symbolise both career advancement and also long life, while the cranes are additional symbols of long life. This combination of deer and cranes appears on a small number of other 18th century cloisonné enamelled vessels. Deer running across the landscape and drinking at a stream with cranes flying overhead can, for example, be seen on a large 18th century cloisonné fish bowl in the Uldry collection (illustrated by H. Brinker and A. Lutz in Chinesisches Cloisonné, Die Sammlung Pierre Uldry, Museum Rietberg, Zurich, 1985, pls. 322, 322a-b). A cloisonné enamel hu-shaped vase decorated with deer as well as cranes in a landscape setting without handles was also sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 27 May 2008, lot 1876.
The 'hundred deer' motif is purely Chinese. The gambolling and prancing deer are references to the rebus where 'deer' in Chinese is a homophone for emolument or civil service salary; the 'hundred deer' therefore represent the ultimate success, a career in government service in imperial China.