328.
A POLYCHROME ENAMELED MODEL OF A STORK
Qing dynasty, Qianlong period
29 cm high
Provenance: Naples, Villa della Floridiana, Museo Duca di Martina, Placido de Sangro (1829-1891) collection.
inv. n. 3853.
The stork (guan), like the crane (he), is in China traditionally associated with longevity and the wish for a long life. Furthermore, because the name with which it is identified is homophone of the word meaning “government official’s hat”, the stork also symbolizes a high official position.
Models such as this one were however made in China explicitly for export to Europe, where they were prized as decorative objects.
A similar model of a stork, painted only with black and brown enamels, is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (inv. n. 14.58.71).
