185 - Root sculpture in the shape of a stag
See original version (French)

Estimate €12,000 - €14,000

Description

Root sculpture in the shape of a stag China 19th century Carved and lacquered root 33 × 35 cm This sculpture makes use of the naturally twisted form of a root with remarkable economy of intervention to reveal the silhouette of a stag. The branches of the wood become limbs, a neck and protrusions, whilst the material remains deliberately ambiguous, oscillating between animal representation and organic abstraction. The deep reddish-brown lacquer unifies the surface, highlights the reliefs and accentuates the root’s almost lifelike quality. The work is most likely of Chinese origin and forms part of the long tradition of root carvings, which were particularly prized during the Qing dynasty, when artists sought not so much to impose a form upon the material as to reveal the image suggested by its natural twists and turns. The stag thus possesses strong auspicious significance and is associated not only with longevity but also—due to the homophony between lu 鹿, ‘stag’, and lu 祿, ‘emoluments’—with success and official honours. In a Japanese context, the deer takes on a different spiritual dimension. In Nara, it is the sacred messenger of the Kasuga deities and is particularly associated with Takemikazuchi, whom tradition describes as arriving at Mount Mikasa on the back of a white deer. More broadly, in the Buddhist world, the deer refers to the Deer Park at Sarnath, the site of the Buddha’s first sermon, and is thus a prominent symbol of the transmission of the Dharma.

See original version (French)

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About the sale Art Animation VII: Monsters, Villains and Antagonists

Auction location

Auction time 10/18/2026 at 3:00 PM

Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House

185 - Root sculpture in the shape of a stag See original version (French)

185 - Root sculpture in the shape of a stag
See original version (French)