Tang Dynasty Figurine of a Deer, 618 - 910 CE
Gilt leaded bronze
5.5 x 8.5 cm
2 1/8 x 3 3/8 in
2 1/8 x 3 3/8 in
ES.9819 (b)
This miniature yet ornate figure of a recumbent deer is shown with a slender, elegant neck with its head extended forward and looking to the right, exposing a gentile expression....
This miniature yet ornate figure of a recumbent deer is shown with a slender, elegant neck with its head extended forward and looking to the right, exposing a gentile expression. A tied-up hanging scroll decorates the back of the animal; a communiqué of good luck to its owner. The rear exposes a finely incised tail and prominent hooves extending out to either side of the figure.
Sino-Buddhist teachings tell of a bodhisattva being reborn as a Ruru, or golden deer, deep in the forest. The Ruru Jataka, as seen on the walls of the Mogao Caves from the Northern Wei, tells of a king and queen who have all worldly pleasures at their disposal. Yet one day, the queen falls sick, and a man of medicine tells her that she can only recover if she eats the flesh of a golden deer. Meanwhile, the vagabond son of the king and queen hears the prescription and confronts the deer, who, as the bodhisattva, sacrifices himself for the ultimate reunification of the family. He returns, like the prodigal son, with the fabled golden deer. Thus, the family is reunited, and the deer has become a symbol of forgiveness, unification, sacrifice, and family.
Alongside this, the deer has a phonetic meaning as well. The word for deer is lu. Because of this, the phonetic connotation of the deer places with riches. Along with riches, the deer has a strong connotation with status and position.
The Tang Dynasty took control in 618 CE when the Li family seized power from the last crumbling remnants of the preceding Sui Dynasty. This political and regal regime was long-lived and lasted for almost 300 years. The imperial aspirations of the preceding periods and early Tang leaders led to unprecedented wealth, resulting in considerable socio-economic stability, the development of trade networks and vast urbanisation for China’s exploding population (estimated at around 50 million people in the 8th century CE).
Sino-Buddhist teachings tell of a bodhisattva being reborn as a Ruru, or golden deer, deep in the forest. The Ruru Jataka, as seen on the walls of the Mogao Caves from the Northern Wei, tells of a king and queen who have all worldly pleasures at their disposal. Yet one day, the queen falls sick, and a man of medicine tells her that she can only recover if she eats the flesh of a golden deer. Meanwhile, the vagabond son of the king and queen hears the prescription and confronts the deer, who, as the bodhisattva, sacrifices himself for the ultimate reunification of the family. He returns, like the prodigal son, with the fabled golden deer. Thus, the family is reunited, and the deer has become a symbol of forgiveness, unification, sacrifice, and family.
Alongside this, the deer has a phonetic meaning as well. The word for deer is lu. Because of this, the phonetic connotation of the deer places with riches. Along with riches, the deer has a strong connotation with status and position.
The Tang Dynasty took control in 618 CE when the Li family seized power from the last crumbling remnants of the preceding Sui Dynasty. This political and regal regime was long-lived and lasted for almost 300 years. The imperial aspirations of the preceding periods and early Tang leaders led to unprecedented wealth, resulting in considerable socio-economic stability, the development of trade networks and vast urbanisation for China’s exploding population (estimated at around 50 million people in the 8th century CE).