Plate with 'shou' character and stylised lotus scrolls
ca. 1680 - ca. 1720
Medium
turning
Dimensions
2.5; 15.5; 9.6
About this artwork
J. Spoor Bequest, Muiden
Art Historical Context
This delicate plate, featuring the Chinese character *shou* (壽)—symbolizing longevity—and intricate stylised lotus scrolls, dates to around 1680–1720. Crafted anonymously during China's late Ming to early Qing dynasty transition, it exemplifies the era's refined decorative arts, when such motifs graced everyday and ceremonial objects. The *shou*, a auspicious emblem often gifted for birthdays or to wish eternal life, pairs beautifully with lotus scrolls evoking purity and prosperity in Confucian and Buddhist traditions. The medium of "turning" suggests lathe-turned craftsmanship, likely on wo...
About the Artist
anonymous
In the vast tapestry of art history, "Anonymous" stands not as a singular individual but as a collective designation for countless unidentified creators whose works have endured across millennia. These artists, spanning prehistoric cave painters to medieval illuminators and folk craftsmen, produced the foundational layers of human visual culture. Prior to the Renaissance, when individual fame emer...