Han Dynasty, Laying Doe Wood Sculpture, China 100AD

A similar sculpture in bronze is kept at the Met Museum with the following description ” A low bed, small table, and screen were often the only furnishings in a Han-dynasty room. The floors were generally covered with mats kept in place with weights in the shape of single animals, fighting beasts, or entertainers.”

Condition seen in pictures.

Dimensions in cm ( H x L x l ) :
– Sculpture : 35 x 40 x 10
– With base : 45.5 x 44 x 15

The Han Dynasty ruled China from 206 B.C. to 220 A.D. and was the second imperial dynasty of China. It is known for its promotion of Confucianism as the state religion and opening the Silk Road trade route to Europe, permanently altering the course of Chinese history. Han Dynasty art and inventions like paper still influence the world today.

From the Han Dynasty to the present, deer can be found in many materials and media—rock crystal, nephrite, ink on paper, porcelain, cloisonné enamel, jade, bamboo root, textile, bronze, etc.—alone or in groups, among trees and rocks and in various positions. They appear on everyday objects, from boxes to incense burners, incense holders, lamps, mirror holders and the droppers scholars used when they wrote. A symbol of longevity and grace in Chinese mythology, the word deer is pronounced lu, a homonym for emoluments—favors granted to officials. They therefore represent wealth, nobility and success in imperial examinations (civil service exams for selecting candidates for the state bureaucracy in Imperial China).
Deer were the faithful companions of Shu Lao, the god of longevity, and the goddess Magu. They were reputed to live long and to be the only creature able to find the mushroom of immortality, linghzhi. Although its spots are different, deer are sometimes confused or associated with stags, a Manchu hunting trophy whose antlers served to make prestigious furniture. (La Gazette Drouot, Claire Papon)

For the colours found on this piece, in Chinese culture, red symbolizes good fortune and joy. Green, symbolizes the spring when everything is brimming over with vigor and vitality.

The Han Dynasty (206 B.C. to 220 A.D.) continued the Qin Dynasty’s use of dark colours, but incorporated red. During the earlier years, or Western Han Dynasty, ordinary people wore red while court dress was black. Shoes were red in color. The clothing worn for sacrificial rites was black edged with red. In the later Eastern Han Dynasty, red symbolized the dynasty’s “fire Virtue” and became predominant. Court dress was red. Sacrificial rites called for a red-edged white layer under robes with red socks and shoes. However, the official dress for season-welcoming ceremonies was dictated by the Five Element Theory: gray-green for spring, red for summer, yellow for autumn and black for winter.

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