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Lot Essay
‘Hundred deer’ vases such as the present example can be regarded as one of the finest Qing ceramics produced by the imperial kilns at Jingdezhen. These vases are a reflection of the Qianlong Emperor’s personal leisure preferences, his style of rulership and a desire for the continuation of the Manchu cultural heritage, in the appreciation for nature and the vast wilderness. This picturesque scene of deer in rocky, tree-strewn landscape was probably intended to represent the imperial garden and hunting park. Interestingly, one of the reasons for the popularity of deer in Chinese art is associated with the emperor’s favourite imperial pastime in the pursuit of hunting. In order to facilitate the emperor’s outdoor activities the imperial gardens and parks were amply stocked with deer and other wildlife.
According to historical records, vases of this type were made in the first few years of the Qianlong reign and may have been designed to coincide with the reinstitution of the imperial hunt. According to an entry in the imperial archives Huo Ji Dang (Handicraft Records), dated to the 3rd year of Qianlong (1738), an order was given for a sample of 153 variations of the ‘hundred deer’ themed vases to be produced, with and without handles, cf. Liao Pao Show Qianlong yangcai- Stunning Decorative Porcelains from the Ch’ien-lung Reign, Taipei, 2008, p. 156; where the author illustrates a pair of ‘hundred deer’ vases with enamelled blue handles, dating to the 3rd year of Qianlong, see ibid., no. 51, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei.
The subject-matter of the deer was undoubtedly a topical theme during the early years of Qianlong’s reign, and was most probably furthermore influenced by the Jesuit painter working for the Court, Giuseppe Castiglione (1688-1766). Castiglione combined his unique style in blending western techniques with Chinese brushwork, such as the small handing scroll Pingye Mingqiu, ‘Autumn Cries on the Artemisia Plain’, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 30 April 2000, lot 518 (fig. 1). The natural, playful, way in which the deer interact with each other on the current vase, is reminiscent of Qianlong’s hanging scroll painting Duo Lu Tu, ‘A Myriad of deer’ (fig. 2), in the Beijing Palace Collection. Drawn by Qianlong himself, the painting was to celebrate the birthday of his mother.
There seems to be two variations of this same ‘deer in landscape’ theme enamelled on vases of this type. The first are those depicting a dense scene of small-sized deer variously roaming in landscape; and the second portrays fewer number of these animals rendered in different sizes varying from large ones in the foreground to smaller ones in the distance, such as the present example. The first group are more frequently seen, such as the pair of blue-handled vases in the National Palace Museum cited above and an example with iron-red handles sold at Christie’s Paris, 13 December 2017, lot 98. The version seen on the current vase is of a much rarer type. On the present vase, the river is a dominant feature of the landscape, and the artist has given greater attention to the creation of a coherent recession in the scheme, thus allowing an effective creation of spatial distance in the composition of the landscape. This feeling of recession is also emphasised by the device of painting the deer in the foreground on a relatively large scale, and smaller animals are seen across the river and in the far distance. Compare similar vases of this type, also with iron-red and gilt handles: the first, from the collection of the National Museum of China and illustrated in Zhongguo guojia bowuguan guancang wenwu yanjiu congshu - ciqi juan - Qing dai, Shanghai, 2007, pp. 134-5, no. 90; and a pair of vases with iron-red handles, sold at Christie’s London, 13 May 2008, lot 223.
The ’hundred deer’ decorative theme invokes several auspicious meanings. The term, ‘a hundred deer’ is bai lu which suggests the wish for shoutian bailu, 'May you receive the hundred emoluments from heaven'. This implies a multiplied wish for wealth and rank, as well as longevity. In the case of the present vase, there appears to be two rebuses at play: the number ‘one hundred’ resonates with the white deer depicted amongst the brown and red deer as the word for white bai is a homophone for the word for ‘one hundred’.
Indeed, deer have a number of auspicious meanings as Shoulao, the Star God of Longevity, is usually depicted accompanied by a spotted deer, crane, peach and pine tree. Thus each of these, including the deer, has come to represent long life. Deer are known to live for a long time and are believed to be the only animals that can find the fungus of immortality. In addition, deer may represent Luxing, the God of Rank and Emolument. As the word for deer, lu 鹿, sounds like lu 祿, meaning emolument or an official salary, deer are symbolic of the rank and wealth. An additional rebus is provided by the inclusion of the cypress tree in the design on the vase since the name for cypress has the same homophone bai 柏. While the word for cypress bai (or bo) 柏 can provide a rebus for ‘a hundred’, the deer and cypress together can also suggest the wish bailing shilu 百齡食祿 ‘May you attain old age and continue to receive emolument’.
Finally, Chinese herbalists traditionally grind up deer antlers and include the resulting powder in certain medicines, believing it to have health-benefitting qualities. With such abundant auspicious symbolic meanings, it is not surprising that this group of deer vases were not only a meaningful imperial commission but also has association with the celebration for a special birthday for Qianlong’s mother.
According to historical records, vases of this type were made in the first few years of the Qianlong reign and may have been designed to coincide with the reinstitution of the imperial hunt. According to an entry in the imperial archives Huo Ji Dang (Handicraft Records), dated to the 3rd year of Qianlong (1738), an order was given for a sample of 153 variations of the ‘hundred deer’ themed vases to be produced, with and without handles, cf. Liao Pao Show Qianlong yangcai- Stunning Decorative Porcelains from the Ch’ien-lung Reign, Taipei, 2008, p. 156; where the author illustrates a pair of ‘hundred deer’ vases with enamelled blue handles, dating to the 3rd year of Qianlong, see ibid., no. 51, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei.
The subject-matter of the deer was undoubtedly a topical theme during the early years of Qianlong’s reign, and was most probably furthermore influenced by the Jesuit painter working for the Court, Giuseppe Castiglione (1688-1766). Castiglione combined his unique style in blending western techniques with Chinese brushwork, such as the small handing scroll Pingye Mingqiu, ‘Autumn Cries on the Artemisia Plain’, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 30 April 2000, lot 518 (fig. 1). The natural, playful, way in which the deer interact with each other on the current vase, is reminiscent of Qianlong’s hanging scroll painting Duo Lu Tu, ‘A Myriad of deer’ (fig. 2), in the Beijing Palace Collection. Drawn by Qianlong himself, the painting was to celebrate the birthday of his mother.
There seems to be two variations of this same ‘deer in landscape’ theme enamelled on vases of this type. The first are those depicting a dense scene of small-sized deer variously roaming in landscape; and the second portrays fewer number of these animals rendered in different sizes varying from large ones in the foreground to smaller ones in the distance, such as the present example. The first group are more frequently seen, such as the pair of blue-handled vases in the National Palace Museum cited above and an example with iron-red handles sold at Christie’s Paris, 13 December 2017, lot 98. The version seen on the current vase is of a much rarer type. On the present vase, the river is a dominant feature of the landscape, and the artist has given greater attention to the creation of a coherent recession in the scheme, thus allowing an effective creation of spatial distance in the composition of the landscape. This feeling of recession is also emphasised by the device of painting the deer in the foreground on a relatively large scale, and smaller animals are seen across the river and in the far distance. Compare similar vases of this type, also with iron-red and gilt handles: the first, from the collection of the National Museum of China and illustrated in Zhongguo guojia bowuguan guancang wenwu yanjiu congshu - ciqi juan - Qing dai, Shanghai, 2007, pp. 134-5, no. 90; and a pair of vases with iron-red handles, sold at Christie’s London, 13 May 2008, lot 223.
The ’hundred deer’ decorative theme invokes several auspicious meanings. The term, ‘a hundred deer’ is bai lu which suggests the wish for shoutian bailu, 'May you receive the hundred emoluments from heaven'. This implies a multiplied wish for wealth and rank, as well as longevity. In the case of the present vase, there appears to be two rebuses at play: the number ‘one hundred’ resonates with the white deer depicted amongst the brown and red deer as the word for white bai is a homophone for the word for ‘one hundred’.
Indeed, deer have a number of auspicious meanings as Shoulao, the Star God of Longevity, is usually depicted accompanied by a spotted deer, crane, peach and pine tree. Thus each of these, including the deer, has come to represent long life. Deer are known to live for a long time and are believed to be the only animals that can find the fungus of immortality. In addition, deer may represent Luxing, the God of Rank and Emolument. As the word for deer, lu 鹿, sounds like lu 祿, meaning emolument or an official salary, deer are symbolic of the rank and wealth. An additional rebus is provided by the inclusion of the cypress tree in the design on the vase since the name for cypress has the same homophone bai 柏. While the word for cypress bai (or bo) 柏 can provide a rebus for ‘a hundred’, the deer and cypress together can also suggest the wish bailing shilu 百齡食祿 ‘May you attain old age and continue to receive emolument’.
Finally, Chinese herbalists traditionally grind up deer antlers and include the resulting powder in certain medicines, believing it to have health-benefitting qualities. With such abundant auspicious symbolic meanings, it is not surprising that this group of deer vases were not only a meaningful imperial commission but also has association with the celebration for a special birthday for Qianlong’s mother.