Dimensions: Height 18,8 cm Wide 11,6 cm Depth 11,6 cm
Weight: 689 grams

A fine blue-and-white porcelain vase, Ming dynasty, painted in underglaze cobalt blue with a continuous landscape scene. One side shows a deer grazing beneath a tall tree, accompanied by a robed attendant carrying a staff and basket, while stylized clouds drift overhead. The reverse is decorated with an elegant willow tree, its long branches rendered with delicate brushstrokes. A band of upright lappets encircles the rim, and an incised geometric pattern decorates the shoulder and lower register, adding subtle texture beneath the glaze.

The deer, long associated with longevity and prosperity, and the figure of the scholar or attendant reflect auspicious themes common in Ming decorative art. Such vessels embodied the harmony of man and nature, making them suitable for both domestic use and scholarly display. Ming blue-and-white wares of this type combined functionality with symbolic decoration, reflecting the cultural ideals of the period.