Dish
Date1723-1735
Mediumporcelain, underglaze cobalt blue and overglaze enamel
DimensionsOverall: 1 3/4 x 8 1/8 in. (4.4 x 20.6 cm)
ClassificationsContainers
Credit LineGift of Stephen Junkunc III
Terms
Object number57.094.000
DescriptionBecause the Chinese saw in the deer the neck of a camel, the hooves of a cow, the tail of a donkey, and the antlers of a deer, the animal is known by the name ssu-pu-hsiang, or the "four unlikes." This dish would appear to depict a part of the Imperial Park and the type of deer that once roamed China but became extinct in the wild when grazing land was claimed for cultivation. A number of the animals were kept in the Imperial Park of the Forbidden City in Beijing until recent imperial times.On View
Not on viewCollections
early 18th century
late 17th century
late 17th century
late 19th century
16th century
