Daim en jade céladon et rouille sculpté, Chine, XVIIème siècle. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2012

L'animal est représenté couché, les pattes repliées sous son corps. Il tient dans sa gueule un branchage de lingzhi. Longueur: 7,2 cm. (2 7/8 in.), socle en bois. Estimate €5,000 - €7,000. Price Realized €23,750 

Provenance: Property of the late Baroness Marie-Louise von Callenberg (1901-1982), Switzerland

Notes: The deer is an emblem of longevity and is said to be the only creature able to find the lingzhi, a fungus which promotes longevity. In addition to its association with Daoist concepts of long life, the deer is also symbolic of riches, as its pronunciation, lu, is homophone for riches or official emolument. The image of the deer (moreover when there are two animals) is very auspicious and came to popularity in the Yuan and early Ming dynasties. See an example of a crouching deer with a lingzhi in its mouth dating from early Ming dynasty illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - Jadeware (II), Hong Kong, 1995, p.274, pl.210

A CELADON AND RUSSET CARVING OF A DEER. CHINA, 17TH CENTURY) 

Christie's. Art d'Asie, 19 December 2012, Paris