A VERY RARE CHINESE EXPORT FIGURE OF A RECLINING STAG SECOND HALF 18TH CENTURY

its coat thickly enamelled in yellow, the white enamelled spots with an incised whorl pattern, its head fitted with detachable antlers.

The antlers are made up ceramic replacements. Otherwise in good condition.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This exact model of reclining deer is apparently unrecorded. A figure of a reclining deer with white spotted brown coat in the Copeland Collection at the Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts is illustrated and discussed by Sargent, p. 246-7, no. 124 who notes that that model is also apparently unique.  A further pair of deer, seated in an upright pose similar to that of export figures of hounds, is illustrated by Cohen and Motley, pp. 176-7, no. 12.1, these also being the only recorded pair of that type.

Interestingly, the spotted deer is not an unusual motif in Chinese art. As Cohen and Motley note, "The Chinese word for deer, lu, is a homophone for 'fat salary', so deer also represent substantial material success...or pictured in a deer hunt symbolic of the pursuit of wealth."