A fine white jade carving of a deer


Yuan/early Ming DynastyWell carved as a recumbent deer grazing on a lingzhi-spray, the lowered head crowned by a single horn with a lingzhi shaped terminal, the legs and hooves well defined underneath, the stone of white jade tone with minor milky-white and russet inclusions, box. 5cm (2in) long (2).
|元/明早期 白玉靈鹿銜芝把件Provenance:Durwin Tang Collection來源：鄧德雍收藏The lingzhi fungus is symbolic of long life as is the deer, which is associated with Shoulao, the God of Longevity. For related pale green and russet carvings of deer grazing on lingzhi, Ming dynasty, see the Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade 6 Ming Dynasty, Beijing, 2011, p.241, nos.241-242. See also a related white and russet jade carving of a deer and lingzhi, Ming/ Qing dynasty, illustrated by G.Tsang, Chinese Jade Animals, Hong Kong, 1996, no.168.「鹿」「祿」諧音，靈芝有長壽如意之寄意，故而鹿銜靈芝的題材廣見於傳統藝術， 為祥瑞之兆。北京故宮藏兩件明代青玉銜靈芝鹿可作參考，見《故宮博物院藏品大系：玉器篇》，卷六，頁241，編號241及242。香港藝術館曾展一件明或清代白玉沁色銜芝瑞獸亦可比較之，見《中國肖生玉雕》，香港，1996年，編號168。