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Lot Essay
The present vase is of double gourd form, a shape especially favoured during the Jiajing period owing to its auspicious associations. The term hulu (“gourd”) forms a rebus for fulu (“fortune and emolument”), while the gourd itself also held strong Daoist connotations as a vessel associated with immortals and magical elixirs, reflecting the Daoist interests of the Jiajing Emperor.
The vase is decorated with shaped panels depicting auspicious motifs including a monkey and a deer, forming the rebus houlu, conveying wishes for noble rank and official prosperity, while the lower panels depict qilin, the mythical beast symbolising peace, virtue and the birth of illustrious sons. The rich cobalt blue tones, with their characteristic purplish hue, are typical of the imported “huiqing” pigment favoured during the Jiajing reign. The combination of monkey, deer and qilin motifs on a Jiajing double gourd vase appears to be comparatively rare.
The vase is decorated with shaped panels depicting auspicious motifs including a monkey and a deer, forming the rebus houlu, conveying wishes for noble rank and official prosperity, while the lower panels depict qilin, the mythical beast symbolising peace, virtue and the birth of illustrious sons. The rich cobalt blue tones, with their characteristic purplish hue, are typical of the imported “huiqing” pigment favoured during the Jiajing reign. The combination of monkey, deer and qilin motifs on a Jiajing double gourd vase appears to be comparatively rare.