A Chinese porcelain blue and white round box and cover. Wanli, 1573-1619. Photo Marchant

of generous domed form painted on the cover with two monkeys, in a raised circular panel, one climbing a fruiting peach tree reaching out to a honeycomb with a stick with bees buzzing around while the other monkey tries to catch the honey, with a deer and stag in the foreground and a pair of birds in flight amongst rockwork and plants, beneath ruyi-head clouds and the moon, encircled by four lozenge shaped reserves each with a bird perched on a different flowering branch all on a diaper ground above a keyfret band, the box base with matching key-fret band with six galloping horses above crested waves. 8 ¾ inches 22.3cm diameter. Price on request. 

Formerly in a Japanese private collection with old Japanese wood box.

Deer, lu, bird, que, monkey, hou and bees, feng form the rebus, juelu feng huo “may you receive high rank and emolument”.

Marchant. 120 Kensington Church Street London W8 4BH. United Kingdom. Tel: 44 0207-229-5319 - Fax: 44 0207-792-897 -  http://www.marchantiques.com