Pair of Bronze Temple Deer, 1970s

Pair of Buddhist temple fallow deer in copper alloy covered with a silver layer, 1970s work.

• L 54 x D 14 CM x H 51 CM.
• Good condition, sometimes very slightly oxidized.

The Recumbent Deer of the Sermon of Benares

Sika deer, sometimes referred to as fallow deer, are inseparable from the Buddha’s first teaching, known as the “Deer Park Sermon,” also called the “Sermon of Benares,” delivered in Sarnath shortly after his Enlightenment.

It was on this occasion that he expounded the Four Noble Truths and the Middle Way, setting in motion the Wheel of Dharma (Dharmacakra), a symbol of the dissemination of his teaching. Since then, two deer flanking a Dharma wheel frequently appear on altars, on the thrones of Buddha statues, and in Buddhist temples across Asia.

Pair of 1970s bronze temple deer, Buddhist symbol of the Sermon of Benares.

Note: The expression “Deer Park” is the most commonly used today. Ancient texts use the terms Mṛgadāva in Sanskrit or Migadāya in Pali, which more broadly refer to a park populated by cervids. Depending on the authors, the appellations “Fallow Deer Park” or “Gazelle Park” are also encountered.

While Claude de Marteau is primarily recognized for his expertise in Asian antiquities, his gaze was not limited to ancient works. An enlightened connoisseur of furniture and decorative objects during the 1960s and 1970s, he also collected more eclectic pieces chosen with the same demanding standards of quality and aesthetics. Through their design and finish, these bronze deer evoke both the world of Maison Jansen and the Hollywood Regency aesthetic, illustrating this strong appreciation for 20th-century decorative arts.