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Plate, the flat rim with a bracket-lobed edge, the base with some grit. On the interior in the centre two spotted deer in a moonlit landscape under a pine tree partly concealed by spiralling clouds. The well plain, the rim with flowering sprays growing from rocks, a bird in front of them. The reverse with two opposing branches with birds, flowering prunus sprays under the rim.
This plate is painted with various motifs symbolizing longevity. The deer became a symbol of long life as it was believed to live to a great age. It is the mount of Shoulao, the God of Immortality. The pine, being evergreen, is likewise regarded as an emblem of long life. Furthermore, the pine, prunus and bamboo, all represented here, are the Three Friends of Winter, another allusion to a wish for a long and happy life. The cobalt blue is of an even tone, the elegant deer are rendered in a refined manner with thin outlines and tiny dots to convey the spots on their fur. These scenes of nature reappeared on porcelain in the second half of the 16th century. The lively manner of portrayal with one deer bowing before the other and the pine trunks crossing points at an early date. As it was formerly in the collection of Nanne Ottema (see introduction) the plate could have been bought from one of his contacts in Indonesia, having been exported there in the pre-Dutch phase of the China trade. A similar dish is in the Santos Palace in Lisbon and another in the Topkapi Saray in Istanbul.
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