Vase aux 100 daims en porcelaine de la famille rose, hu Chine, dynastie Qing, fin de l'époque Qianlong ou début de l'époque Jiaqing, fin du XVIIIE, début du XIXE siècle

piriforme, reposant sur un pied droit, deux anses en forme de dragons archaïsants stylisés rouge de fer et or, de part et d'autre du col, la panse décorée d'une horde de daims au milieu d'un paysage montagneux planté de pins, marque zhuanshu Qianlong en bleu sous couverte à la base

With the exception of repair to the body of one side of a two-pronged hairline crack extending from the rim to the foot and converging at the centre of the body; scratches and very slight flaking of enamel to the area under one handle; a 2mm-round burst glaze bubble to the rim; small areas of flaking of the enamel to the extremities of the handles; and minor glazing imperfections and very light surface scratches overall, this vase is in very 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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

For Qianlong examples of this design see one from the Qing Court collection, now in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Porcelains with Cloisonne Enamel Decoration and Famille Rose Decoration, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 85; and a pair and a single vase in the Shanghai Museum, illustrated in Selected Ceramics from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Hu, Shanghai, 1989, no. 67.

These vases are known as 'hundred deer vases'. In Chinese a hundred deer is bai lu which suggests the wish shoutian bailu 'May you receive the hundred emoluments from heaven' with the implication of a multiplied wish for wealth and rank, as well as longevity. The number one hundred is implied using two other rebuses within these designs, one is by including white deer amongst the brown or red deer, since the word for white in Chinese is bai - a homophone for the word for a hundred.