A pair of Chinese porcelain moulded saucer dishes, 17th century, painted in underglaze blue to the central reserve with a lingzhi sprig and two deer in a pine forest, inside a moulded chrysanthemum border, 21cm diameterNotes: The deer motif is one rich with symbolic meaning. The word for deer ? (‘lu’) shares the homophone of good fortune ? (‘lu’), which can also refer to a civil official's attractive salary. Furthermore, in Chinese idioms, political power is compared to deer, and chasing deer implies fighting for the sovereign. The pine trees ? in the background also contain symbolic meaning, as their evergreen state implies longevity. Unlike most other trees, pine does not wither during the winter seasons, and therefore is representative of noble endurance in the face of adversity, a popular and auspicious motif in the decorative arts. Deer were considered supernatural creatures in premodern China, and appear frequently in scenes of immortals and magical lands. Deer were also believed to live to a very great age, and therefore symbolized longevity. It was also thought that they were the only animal capable of finding the sacred fungus of longevity, the lingzhi. The deer is also symbolic of filial piety, which originates from the folk tale of Zhou Yanzi. The story tells of a young boy who tries to get milk from a deer to cure his ailing father, and to achieve this goal he wears deer skin and joins a deer herd to gather milk.

Fritting to rims, and firing flaws. Otherwise good.