Plate

The center of this plate depicts a lake with abundant plant life, lotus flowers and mandarin ducks swimming about. The rim of a the plate presents the eight immortals of Taoism, crossing the Eastern Sea with their respective symbols: Zhang Cuo-lao with bamboo ro, Zhong-li Quan with a fan, Han Xiang-zi with a flute, He Xian-gu with a lotus flower, Lan Cai-he with a basket of flowers, Li Te-guai with grinder and calabash, Lu Dong-bin with a sword and fly swatter and Cao Guo-jin with a pair of castanets. The lotus flowers and mandarin ducks serve as purity, fidelity and conjugal happiness, meaning that the decoration of this plate is clearly auspicious for its owner.