QING DYNASTY, 18TH/19TH CENTURY

In Daoism, the deer is associated with longevity and immortality and this animal is often depicted together with the crane and the Star God of Longevity, Shoulao, as an auspicious symbol in Chinese art. The popularity of the deer as an auspicious motif is exemplified by Court paintings such as the album leaf portraying the Yongzheng Emperor (r. 1723-1735) being accompanied by a deer next to a lotus pond. An incense burner in the shape of a deer of similar size is illustrated by B. Quette, Cloisonne: Chinese Enamels from the Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties, New York, Paris, New Haven and London, 2011, pl. 106.