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A fine pale celadon jade deer figural group
19th centuryThe larger sleek-horned recumbent stag seated above a smaller adoring young buck, the juvenile and adult gripping between them in their maws a different gnarled branch of the same leafy multi-fork frond of lingzhi fungus draping naturalistically over and around their stately frames, over which their intense mutual gaze is enhanced by incised details along their powerful jawbones and almond shaped eyes, the stone of pale translucent celadon hue subtly mottled in large whorled patches of icy inclusions.8in (20.2cm) long
注脚
十九世紀 青白玉雕雙鹿啣芝紋擺件In Chinese, the word deer (lu) is a homophone with rank or emolument (lu). Further, deer have been traditionally associated with the iconography of Shoulao or the God of Longevity, something which can be enhanced by the magical properties of the lingzhi fungus. As such, the auspicious subject matter of deer and linghzhi is a common trope in Chinese art, and often depicted in jade figural groups like the present lot. See the 17th/18th century example sold in our Hong Kong rooms,27 November 2014, lot 107; or the 18th century example sold in Christies Hong Kong, 1 June 2011, lot 3561. Both of these pieces relate to numerous prototypes in the Palace Collection depicting this same auspicious subject matter: for example, a pale green jade carving of a stag and doe with lingzhi fungus, Qing dynasty, from the Qing Court Collection, illustrated by Zheng Xinmiao, ed., Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade, Qing Dynasty, vol.9, Beijing, 2010, pl.145. See as well the qilin in the Palace Museum Collection, Beijing, illustrated in Jadeware (III), The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 1995, p. 114, no. 94. Interestingly however, both of the comparable examples sold depict a male deer and a female deer, further auguring conjugal bliss on top of wealth and longevity for the lucky recipient. The 19th century carver of the present lot however has depicted two horned animals-- two males. One possible explanation for this choice could be that the adult and juvenile deer are an ode to filial affection, an intriguing artifact from a society coming to grips with the challenges and aftermath of the Qianlong/Jiaqing father/son transition.