Footnotes

北宋 耀州窯青釉刻鹿紋碗

Provenance:
Priestley & Ferraro Chinese Art, London
Emmanuel Christofides (1928-2020), Athens and London, acquired from the above on 5 November 2004

Published, Illustrated and Exhibited:
Priestley & Ferraro, Recent Acquisitions, London, 2004, no.10
D.Priestley and M.Flacks, A Life in the Company of Song Ceramics, London, 2017, pp.118-119, no.53 (published and illustrated)
S.Wong and S.Pierson, eds., Collectors, Curators, Connoisseurs: A Century of the Oriental Ceramic Society 1921-2021, London, 2021, pp.196-197, no.65

來源：
倫敦古董商Priestley & Ferraro Chinese Art
Emmanuel Christofides (1928-2020)，雅典和倫敦，於2004年11月5日從上處獲得

展覽著錄：
Priestley & Ferraro，《Recent Acquisitions》，倫敦，2004年，編號10
D.Priestley和M.Flacks，《A Life in the Company of Song Ceramics》，倫敦，2017年，第118-119頁，編號53（著錄插圖）
S.Wong和S.Pierson編，《百年清賞：東方陶瓷學會的收藏家、鑑賞家及博物館員》，倫敦，2021年，第196-197頁，編號65

The motif of a recumbent deer or antelope can be traced to Sogdian metalwork. In China, it first appeared briefly in Tang dynasty metalwork before re-emerging during the Song and Jin dynasties, adorning textiles brocaded with gold, metalwork, and ceramics; see J.C.Y.Watt, When Silk was Gold: Central Asian and Chinese Textiles, New York, 1997, no.29. Over time, the deer became closely associated with longevity and Daoist traditions, often depicted alongside Immortals such as Shoulao or in enchanted landscapes. Furthermore, the Chinese word for deer (lu 鹿) is a homophone for the word for wealth or official emolument (lu, 禄). This dual meaning makes the deer a symbol of prosperity and success in one's career. On this celadon-glazed bowl, the deer is rendered with remarkable naturalism, featuring a gracefully elongated head with prominent antlers, turned backward toward a rounded body detailed with impressed spotted markings. The fluidly incised lines of the deer harmonise beautifully with the deeply carved foliate background, showcasing the craftman's skilfull execution.

Compare with a similar carved celadon-glazed bowl, Jin dynasty, excavated in 1983 in Chengjiao township, Chengcheng county, Shaanxi Province and now in the Yaozhou Ceramics Kiln Museum, illustrated by Zhuo Zhenxi, Series of China's Ancient Porcelain Kiln Sites: Yaozhou Kiln of China, Beijing, 2014, no.160; and no.159, showing a horned animal gazing at the moon, Jin dynasty, in the Palace Museum, Beijing.

See a related large Yaozhou carved bowl with waves, Jin dynasty, which was sold at Sotheby's New York, 20 March 2019, lot 623.