China, 1368-1644, second half of the 16^th to early 17^th century. Sturdily potted, of conical form, finely painted to the exterior in various shades of underglaze blue with a mountain landscape depicting one hundred deer amid scrolling clouds, rockwork and trees. The upper rim with a border of meandering vines interspersed with blossoms, and a double line above the foot.

Provenance: Wiltshire, United Kingdom, local trade. By repute acquired from a private estate.
Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age, showing extensive old wear, surface scratches, and manufacturing flaws including glaze recesses, pitting, firing flaws, and firing cracks, all exactly as expected from a large porcelain jardinière from this period. Displaying exceptionally well.

Weight: 38.9 kg
Dimensions: Height 51.6 cm, Diameter 58.9 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.

In the troubled times of the late Ming dynasty emperors were particularly keen for evidence of Heaven's blessing on their rule. Hu Zongxian (1512-1565) for example, submitted a memorial to the Jiajing emperor on the sighting of a rare white deer – a good omen for the superstitious Jiajing emperor – for which Hu was richly rewarded. Jars such as the present lot, decorated with deer, were particularly favored at Court during the second half of the 16^th century and early 17^th century.

Literature comparison:
Compare a related Wanli 'hundred deer' jar in the collection of the Musée Guimet, Paris, illustrated in Alexandre Hougron, La Céramique Chinoise Ancienne, Paris, 2015, page 138. Compare a pair of blue and white jars and covers of related design, in the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, Stockholm, illustrated in Oriental Ceramics, volume 8, pl. 247, and by D.Lion-Goldschmidt, Ming Ceramics, New York, 1978, page 187, no. 183.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 25 May 2022, lot 457
Price: HKD 126,000 or approx. EUR 15,500 converted at the time of writing
Description: A large blue and white ‘hundred deer’ jardinière, Ming dynasty, Wanli period
Expert remark: Compare the related motif. Note the much smaller size of only 34.5 cm.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams London, 3 November 2022, lot 145
Price: GBP 69,600 or approx. EUR 81,000 converted at the time of writing
Description: A rare large blue and white 'hundred' deer jar, Wanli
Expert remark: Compare the closely related motif and near-identical size (55 cm). Note the different form.



明代大型青花百鹿紋花盆
中國，十六世紀下半葉至十七世紀初。胎體結實，圓錐形花盆。外壁用深淺不一的青花精心描繪山景，百鹿在山間跳躍。盆沿飾纏枝花卉紋，足部一道雙線紋。

來源：英國維特郡古玩交易，據説購於私人收藏。
品相：品相良好，磨損、表面劃痕和製造缺陷，例如釉面凹陷、點蝕和燒製裂紋。

重量：38.9 公斤
尺寸：高 51.6 厘米，直徑 58.9 厘米

“百鹿”圖非常流行，具有重要的象徵意義。鹿的題材在中國藝術中有著悠久的歷史，因為“鹿”與“祿”同音。因此，“百鹿”圖寓意成功。

明朝，胡宗憲（1512-1565 年）因看到一頭稀有的白鹿而上奏嘉靖皇帝，這對迷信的嘉靖皇帝來說是個好兆頭，胡宗憲為此得到賞賜。十六世紀下半葉和十七世紀初，宮廷特別青睞鹿紋罐，例如本拍品。

文獻比較：
比較一件相近萬曆百鹿罐 ，收藏於巴黎Musée Guimet，見Alexandre Hougron，《La Céramique Chinoise Ancienne》，巴黎，2015年，頁138。比較一對相近設計的青花罐，收藏於斯德哥爾摩東亞Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities，見Oriental Ceramics，第8卷，圖247；見D.Lion-Goldschmidt，《Ming Ceramics》，紐約，1978年，頁187，編號183。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：香港蘇富比，25 5月 2022年，lot 457
價格：HKD 126,000（相當於今日EUR 15,500）
描述：明萬曆青花百鹿缸
專家評論：比較相近的主題。請注意尺寸較，只有34.5 厘米。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：倫敦邦瀚斯，2022年11月3日，lot 145
價格：GBP 69,600（相當於今日EUR 81,000）
描述：明萬曆青花百鹿紋大罐
專家評論：比較非常相近的主題，以及幾乎相同的尺寸(55 厘米)。請注意不同的外形。