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A set of eleven famille rose plates, Qing dynasty, Qianlong (1736-95).
A set of eleven famille rose plates, Qing dynasty, Qianlong (1736-95).
Decorated with a deer in a garden with bamboo and lingzhi fungus. Diameter approx. 24 cm.
Wear. Fritts. Some with chips, one with crack.
More information
Lingzhi or ‘divine fungus’ is amongst the most revered and interesting plants in China. Also called ‘Auspicious Plant’ or ‘Immorality Plant’, lingzhi is believed to be a magical substance and Daoist alchemists claimed that by taking lingzhi man could attain immortality and even a dead person could come to life again. Lingzhi has been a popular motif in Chinese art for two thousand years. Many imperial porcelains of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties are painted with the lingzhi design, often in a stylised or simplified form.