Five Dynasties Period (907-960) Anonymous
Herd of Deer in a Maple Grove
- Hanging scroll, ink and colors on silk
- 118.5 x 64.6 cm
This painting shows a herd of deer roaming in a colorful forest on an autumn day. Towards the left part stands a long-horned stag that raises its head and looks out as if standing guard. Many others are also shown with their heads and ears raised in a state of alertness, revealing a naturalistic expression of caution and possible flight. In terms of the technique, the rendering of the deer was first done with outlines of light ink and then washed with fine washes of ink in a manner similar to the "boneless" wash manner of painting. The depiction of the trees and leaves was done first with fine brushwork to outline the twigs and leaf veins, which were then washed to highlight them or filled with colors and covered with a wash of color. The result is that the surrounding trees have become opulent in color for an effect that merges naturalism with decorative qualities. The entire painting surface is filled with colors of white, yellow, ochre, red, and green for an overwhelming quality. In fact, the style is quite unusual and differs from traditional techniques in native Chinese painting, indicating it might be related to a foreign style such as that of the sinified Liao dynasty.
The subject, because of it refers to a metaphor used in banquets, was often used as a subject in feast-related works. This painting bears neither the seal nor signature of the artist. As to its period of production, several opinions have been expressed without any definite conclusions. Of the Yuan imperial seals Kuizhang and Tianli that appear here, the former refers to the Kuizhang Pavilion, which was established in 1329 and changed in name to the Xuanwen Pavilion in 1340. This indicates that the painting, perhaps due to its northern non-native orientation, was appreciated by the Yuan imperial clan and entered the Yuan court collection in the first half of the 14th century.