Plate with Monkey, Bees, Magpie, and Deer late 17th–early 18th century China 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 Plate with Monkey, Bees, Magpie, and Deer 48214

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Size: 2000px × 1500px
Photo credit: © MET/BOT / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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