清 青花“爵祿封侯”瓷盤|Plate with Monkey, Bees, Magpie, and Deer

Unknown

late 17th–early 18th century · Porcelain painted with blue underglaze · Asian Art

Visual puns, often made by using homophones, are a popular design language in Chinese art. In addition to being a zodiac animal, the monkey also symbolizes a noble title, because it is pronounced the same as the word for marquis (hou) in Chinese. Here, monkey, bees, magpie, and deer are combined to convey “giving great wealth and bestowing a noble title” (jue lu feng hou). This handsomely painted blue-and-white dish therefore expresses two wishes for good fortune.

Artist

Unknown

Date

late 17th–early 18th century

Medium

Porcelain painted with blue underglaze

Culture

China

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Purchase by subscription, 1879