Two Chinese silk brocade 'deer' panels, Ming dynasty, each decorated with two spotted deer carrying sprigs of prunus, flanking a rocky outcrop rising up from swirling waves with a large crane's foot resting atop it, all amidst swirling lingzhi clouds on an ochre ground, 23.7 x 56cm and 27.5 x 53.5cm, both mounted (2)明 赭地錦織六合同春紋墊面兩件Note: The deer motif is one rich with symbolic meaning. The word for deer 鹿 (‘lu’) shares the homophone of good fortune 禄 (‘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. 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. 品相報告 Condition Report: Wear commensurate with age, with fraying to the silk, signs of possible old repairs, fading and discolourations, loose thread. Please see images for full condition overview.