Bidspirit auction | CHINESE GILT BLACK LACQUER TABLE

CHINESE GILT BLACK LACQUER TABLE SCREEN DEPICTING HUNDRED DEER SCENE - Late Qing Dynasty, Ca. late 19th - early 20th century AD. A rectangular panel intricately painted with a continuous landscape scene of deer. The composition, rendered with great depth and movement, evokes the ideal harmony between nature and longevity. The upper right corner bears the gilt inscription bailu tu (“Hundred Deer”). The border is decorated with a geometric key-fret pattern, and the panel is supported on an integral stand. The Hundred Deer motif was a popular decorative theme in Qing court art, symbolising prosperity, rank, and longevity, as the word for “deer” (lu) is a homophone for emolument or official salary. The repetition of deer across the landscape, along with pine and cranes, further reinforces wishes for enduring success and long life. Screens of this type were typically displayed in scholars’ studios or as auspicious furnishings in elite households.Size: 325mm x 210mm; Weight: 2.35kgProvenance: Private UK Collection.