拍品專文
The subject matter of the present brush pot is very auspicious, with wishes for longevity represented by the cranes, and wishes for success in imperial examinations represented by the deer. Together, the cranes and deer also form a rebus for long life, liuhe tongchun (the universe is enjoying longevity). The depiction of the deer as a pair, and the cranes also as a pair, together with pine trees, symbolize wishes for happiness in marriage and longevity.
It is rare to find a Kangxi blue and white brush pot decorated with animals, such as the deer and crane, as on the current brush pot, rather than figures in a landscape or on a terrace. This subject matter is more often seen on vases from the Kangxi period, such as the two in the Palace Museum, Beijing, painted with a similarly vibrant blue, illustrated by Chen Runmin (ed.), Qing Shunzhi Kangxi Chao Qinghua Ci, Beijing, 2005, pp. 476-77, nos. 307 and 308.
It is rare to find a Kangxi blue and white brush pot decorated with animals, such as the deer and crane, as on the current brush pot, rather than figures in a landscape or on a terrace. This subject matter is more often seen on vases from the Kangxi period, such as the two in the Palace Museum, Beijing, painted with a similarly vibrant blue, illustrated by Chen Runmin (ed.), Qing Shunzhi Kangxi Chao Qinghua Ci, Beijing, 2005, pp. 476-77, nos. 307 and 308.