Chinese Blue and White Ginger Jar (Kangxi 1622-1722)

Ref: W771

Chinese blue and white ginger jar, Kangxi (1662-1722), of ovoid form, decorated in brilliant underglaze cobalt blue with three deer roaming a rocky lakeside landscape amongst pine and swirling clouds, with two cranes perching and a further crane in flight overhead; the neck with a narrow band.

Dimensions:

Height: 21cm. (8 1/4in.)

Condition:

Slight chip to the biscuit

Notes:

This vase is rich in the symbol of longevity, one of the central themes of Daoist teaching. According to Daoist belief, deer are the only animal able to find and consume lingzhi, fungi of immortality. As ‘deer’ in Chinese (‘lu’) is homophonous with the term for an official’s salary, the animal is aso a symbol of prosperity and wealth. The pine, evergreen and long-living, is often paired in paintings and ceramic design with crane, which are in turn associated with Shoulao, the god of longevity. The immortal crane (xian he) is said to live for thousands of years and to act as messenger between the earthly and heavenly realms where the Daoist deities reside. The incorporation of auspicious natural imagery in general into artistic design was particularly popular during the late Ming and Qing as according to Daoist belief, immortality could only be achieved through living in harmony with the universal order underpinning all living things. The potent combination of longevity motifs within this design would have made the jar a particularly appropriate gift or furnishing for a retirement or birthday event.