A FAMILLE ROSE 'HUNDRED DEER' HU-FORM VASE, GUANGXU MARK AND PERIOD Opinion: While hu-form vases with the 'hundred deer' motif that date from the 19^th century frequently appear on the market, they almost always have apocryphal Qianlong reign marks. The present lot, however, with its fine enameling and large deer-head handles, belongs to the extremely rare group of Guangxu mark and period vases with this motif.

China, 1875-1908. The vase of pear shape is finely decorated with a continuous scene of the 'hundred deer' motif depicting a gathering of deer amidst various trees including pine and peach, in a landscape of blue-green rocks and mountains, and a river fed by a waterfall on one side. The neck is flanked by a pair of handles in the form of deer heads with black antlers. The base with a neatly painted iron-red six-character mark da Qing Guangxu nianzhi and of the period.

Provenance: From an old European private collection, assembled before 1965. Thence by descent to the last owner.
Condition: Very good condition with minor old wear, glaze flaking, shallow surface scratches and firing irregularities, a single hairline (approx. 14 cm long) above the foot, possibly original to the firing process.

Weight: 10.3 kg
Dimensions: Height 45.3 cm

The 'hundred deer' motif was very popular, as the landscape depicted contains important symbolic references. The subject of deer has a long history in Chinese art, as it refers to the rebus where the Chinese word for 'deer' is a homophone for 'emolument' or 'civil service salary'. The 'hundred deer' motif therefore represents the ultimate success, a career in government service in Imperial China.

Literature comparison:
A Qianlong-marked vase of closely related size (45 cm) in the Beijing Palace Museum is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - 39 - Porcelains with Cloisonné Enamel Decoration and Famille Rose Decoration, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 85. Other examples include a pair in the Shanghai Museum, illustrated in Selected Ceramics from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Hu, Shanghai, 1989, pl. 67; one in the Nanjing Museum, included in the joint exhibition with The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Qing Imperial Porcelain, 1995, no. 86; and another from the Grandidier Collection in the Musée Guimet, Paris, illustrated in Oriental Ceramics, The World's Great Collections, Tokyo, 1981, vol. 7, pl. 190.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's New York, 23 March 2018, lot 834
Price: USD 47,500 or approx. EUR 52,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An unusual famille rose 'hundred deer' hu-form vase, Guangxu six-character mark in iron-red and of the period
Expert remark: Compare the near identical form and decoration. Note the similar size (37.4 cm) and that this example also bears the rare Guangxu mark.



光緒款及年代粉彩百鹿尊
中國，1875-1908年。圓口，垂腹，圈足。通體施白釉，肩部飾鹿首耳。器身繪粉彩山水苑百鹿圖。畫面中山石、樹葉多以綠彩繪成，施彩濃厚;群鹿、枝幹以赭、黑等彩作畫，群鹿活現，枝幹蒼勁，筆繪生動細膩。底書“大清光緒年製”六字篆書款。

專家注釋：十九世紀的粉彩百鹿尊雖然經常出現，但大多都是杜撰乾隆款。此拍品琺瑯精美，鹿首耳，極爲稀有。

來源：歐洲私人舊藏，購於1965年，保存到現任藏家。
品相：品相極好，有輕微磨損、釉料剝落、表面淺劃痕和燒製不規則，足部上方有一條冲線（約 14 厘米長），可能是燒製過程中產生的。

重量：10.3 公斤
尺寸：高45.3 厘米

以鹿為紋飾在中國藝術中有著悠久的歷史，鹿是長壽的仙獸，自然也受到歷代帝王的青睞，這在皇宮常見的百鹿尊上可見一斑。

文獻比較：
一件尺寸非常相近乾隆時期的花瓶(45 厘米)，收藏於北京故宮博物院，見《故宮博物院藏文物珍品全集‧琺瑯彩‧粉彩》，香港，1999年，圖85。其他例子包括上海博物館的一對花瓶，見《胡惠春先生,王華雲女士捐贈瓷器精品選》，上海，1989年，頁67；另一件收藏於南京博物院，見香港中文大學的聯合展覽《淸瓷萃珍 : 淸代康雍乾官窯瓷器》，1995年，編號86；還有一件來自吉美國立亞洲藝術博物館的Grandidier收藏，見《Oriental Ceramics, The World's Great Collections》，東京，1981，卷7，頁190。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2018年3月23日，lot 834
價格：USD 47,500（相當於今日EUR 52,500）
描述：光緒款及年代粉彩百鹿尊
專家評論：比較幾乎相同外型和裝飾。請注意尺寸較小 (37.4 厘米)，以及罕見的底部光緒款識。