Plate with Monkey, Bees, Magpie, and Deer

China

Not on view

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.

Plate with Monkey, Bees, Magpie, and Deer, Porcelain painted with blue underglaze, China

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Plate with Monkey, Bees, Magpie, and Deer, Porcelain painted with blue underglaze, China
Plate with Monkey, Bees, Magpie, and Deer, Porcelain painted with blue underglaze, China

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