Sika Deer In Velvet

by Zhang Kerang

Title

Sika Deer In Velvet

Artist

Zhang Kerang

Medium

Painting - Watercolor On Watercolor Paper

Description

Standing majestically atop a mountain ledge, the setting sun reflecting from his glistening fur, the stag Sika Deer displays the antlers that give him prowess within the herd. Among the world's threatened species, the Sika Deer of the Far East is a truly exquisite animal. Of thirteen sub-species, three are found in China, inhabiting the hilly forest areas. In summer, the skin is covered with chestnut-red hair and many delicate snow-white spots in the shape of plum blossoms. In winter, the hair turns dark brown and the spots become less conspicuous. The male of this species is the only one to grow antlers, which are used as a display to attract females and to intimidate rivals: the larger and more powerful the antlers, the greater the dominance within the herd. For ten months of the year, stags travel in segregated groups. Hind groups, consisting of females and young deer, roam a different range at this time. Groups vary in size, usually comprising fewer than twenty individuals. In late September, these feeding groups break up and stags may wander considerable distances to find the hind groups. Meanwhile, their antlers have grown through the summer and now, in autumn, are hard, ready for the challenges of the breeding season. Manchurian Sika are known to deliberately accumulate vegetation on their antlers to make them even more impressive to the female. The following year, in later winter or early summer, the antlers are cast off as a new set begins to grow and the breeding cycle repeats itself.

Zhang Kerang was born in 1937 in China's Liaoning Province. An avid lover of painting since early childhood, he graduated in 1964 from the Engraving Department of the Lu Xun Art Institute. He earned a reputation for his skills in a variety of art mediums: his woodcuts, watercolors, gouache paintings and pen-and-ink drawings have been displayed in several exhibitions throughout China. During his long and distinguished career, Zhang Kerang designed a multitude of stamps, including Sika Deer, AAA Table Tennis Invitation Tournament and Founding of Ningsia Hui Autonomous Region.

Please note the "Fine Art America" watermark will not appear on the painting or any print reproduction.

Artwork Copyright © 1980 Wind River Studios Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved under United States and international copyright laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, transmit, or otherwise exploit the Artwork in any way. Any sale of the physical original does not include or convey the Copyright or any right comprised in the Copyright. WRSH Stock Number XB06398

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April 5th, 2022

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