Bi Stand: Deer

7/9/2014: "A scarce Chinese Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) carved huangjumu (yellow Southern Elm) mirror stand (jingjia), in the form of a recumbent deer with its legs tucked under the body, the head turned toward the hind legs, and grasping a spray of lingzhi in its mouth, with crescent shaped mirror holder. The word for deer in Chinese is lu which translates to mean income. The deer is known for its endurance, grace, and long life, and is a Chinese symbol of longevity and prosperity. Consequently, the combined meanings represent a prosperous long life which is why, in Chinese art, the deer is depicted with court officials, signifying a long successful career, as well as fame and recognition. In Chinese mythology, it was believed that the deer was the only animal which was able to find the sacred fungus of longevity. Thus deer are often depicted, in Chinese decorative and fine arts holding the lingzhi in their mouth.

Lingzhi, also known as the glossy ganoderma, is the sacred fungus of immortality that grows on the trunks or roots of trees including the pine. The lingzhi does not decay like other fungus but instead becomes woody, and thus can survive for a long time. For this reason, it has become associated with longevity.

This jingjia is carved from Southern Elm (Zelkova Schneideriana) which was a popular furniture-making wood in the Suzhou region, and seldom used for decorative wood carvings, thus making this mirror stand very rare. Southern Elm distinguished from its northern counterpart (yumu) by its more refined ring porous structure. Southern Elm is also comparatively denser and stronger. The yellow ju (huangjumu) is the most highly prized of the three varieties of jumu, the other two being red (hongjumu) and blood ju (xuejumu).

As early as 2000 BC, bronze technology was highly developed in China, and objects made from this alloy of copper, tin, and lead were considered luxury items, reserved for the aristocratic class. Among these coveted pieces were small bronze mirrors, some compact and portable enough to be held in one hand, and others large and heavy enough to require stands. Usually cast from clay molds, they were highly polished on one side, offering a reflective surface, while the other side was decorated with intricate patterns and designs that reveal an astonishing level of skill and artistry in their craftsmanship. Birds, dragons, and serpents were common motifs in the earliest mirrors. Later, more sophisticated and elaborate designs included mythological figures, deities, animals of the Chinese zodiac, abstract patterns, background textures, inscriptions, enamel work, and inlays of jade, turquoise, and mother-of-pearl. The mirrors were set on mirror stands which were generally produced in metal (bronze). Furthermore, bronze mirrors, such as described above, were replaced with glass mirrors, imported to China from England, in the 18th century. Carved wood mirror stands are extraordinarily rare and scarce, which suggests that this huangjumu jingjia was a commissioned piece." - Bernie MacManus, Appraiser, Woodbury House, 5/29/2014