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Not currently on display at the V&A

Plaque

ca. 1650-1700 (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
China (made)

This circular plaque would have slotted into a wooden stand to form a decorative table screen. Both sides are carved with auspicious motifs which means the screen would have been viewed from either side. One side depicts the Eight Daoist Immortals about to cross the sea. There was no boat to take them to the other shore so they had to exercise their supernatural power. On the other side of the plaque is Shoulao, the God of Longevity.


Object details

Category
Myths & Legends
Object type
Plaque
Materials and techniques
Soapstone, carved
Soapstone
Carved
Brief description
Plaque, carved soapstone, China, Qing dynasty, ca. 1650-1700
Physical description
Soapstone plaque, circular, shown on one side Shoulao holding a ruyi accompanied by a crane with a peach branch and a deer with lingzhi fungus on stylised clouds; on the reverse, Eight Daoist Immortals with emblems depicted amidst stylised waves.
Dimensions
  • Diameter: 30.5cm
Style
Qing
Gallery label
  • STEATITE DISC; on one side Shou Lao. god of Longevity (the deification of Lao tzu). on the other the Eight Taoist Immortals (Pa Lsien). Ming dynasty (1368-1644); probably 17th century. A23-1910.(pre 2005)
  • DISC OF STEATITE. carved on both sides with the God of Longevity (Shou-lao) and the Eight Taoist Immortals (Pa Hsien); on stand of carved wood. CHINESE; 17th century (?). Diam. 12 in., thickness about 1 to 1 1/2 in., H. including stand. 1ft. 9 1/4 in. Bought. 210 (Mr H. Holliday). R.P. 2175/'10. Phot. The disc is probably a ritual object from a Taoist temple. On one side is Shou-lao (the deified disembodied spirit of Lao Tzu) with the emblems of longevity- the deer, the polyporus fungus, the strok, the sacred peach and the ju-i sceptre. On the other are the Eight Immortals with their emblems:- Chung- li Ch'uan, with bare belly and fan; Lu Tung-pin, with sword; Li T'ieh-kuai, with pilgrim's gourd; Ts'ao kuo-ch'iu, with castenets; Lan Ts'ai-ho, with flower-basket; Chang kuo Lao, with bamboo frum and sticks; Han Hsiang Tzu, with flute; and Ho Hsien ku, with her lotus flower. The carved wood stand, apparently to more recent date, represents conventional waves. Stand broken and repaired. The colour varies from black to reddish-yellow.
Object history
Purchased from Mr. H. Holliday, accessioned in 1910. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project.
Subjects depicted
Deer
Crane
Ruyi
Magic Fungus
Peach
Daoist Immortals
壽星
執持
如意
坐 (人體姿勢)
仙鶴
採摘 (動物)
仙桃
瑞鹿
靈芝
坐墊
波浪
Shouxing
Summary
This circular plaque would have slotted into a wooden stand to form a decorative table screen. Both sides are carved with auspicious motifs which means the screen would have been viewed from either side. One side depicts the Eight Daoist Immortals about to cross the sea. There was no boat to take them to the other shore so they had to exercise their supernatural power. On the other side of the plaque is Shoulao, the God of Longevity.
Bibliographic reference
Clunas, Craig. Chinese Carving. London: Sun Tree Publishing Ltd in association with the Victoria & Albert Museum, 1996. p. 78, figs. 92-93.
Collection
East Asia Collection
Accession number
A.23-1910

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Record createdSeptember 16, 2005
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O116720/plaque-unknown/
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