A large Chinese cobalt blue underglazed "Hundred Deer's" porcelain Zun vase.
Bulbous glazed body, with flat rim and footed base. Two cobalt blue-deer masks flanked on shoulder, with exterior finely decorated in continuous scene of "hundred deer" in mountainous forestry scenery in details.

Mark on base, a six blue seal script -ZhuanShu- characters reign mark, QianLong Reign Period of Great Qing.

Dimensions: 19-3/4"H x 15"Diam.

LOT NOTES:

Hundred Deer (bai lu) motif, is referring to a long career in civil service, since the Chinese word lu for "deer" is a homophone for "emolument" or "civil service salary". The 'hundred bai deer motif' therefore represent the ultimate success in Imperial China - scholarly success and a long career in government service. The idea conveyed in the 'Hundred Deer' design is a wish for great wealth and success
The deer symbolizes immortality and is the companion of ShuoLao, the God of Longevity, while the inclusion of peaches and Lingzhi fungus in the decoration is often a further symbolic of longevity. It also represents filial piety which comes from the folk tale of Zhou Yanzi. This is a story of a young boy who tries to get milk from a deer to cure his ailing father. To achieve his goal he wears deer skin and joins a deer herd to gather milk.

Over all in EXCELLENT condition.
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