Chinese porcelain dish showing immortals
Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province
Qing dynasty, about AD 1662–1683
This porcelain dish shows the Eight Immortals
visiting the God of Longevity, Shoulao.
Shoulao is identified by his extended cranium,
long beard and emblems of long-life such as the deer beside
him.
These deities are a mythical group of figures,
some based on historical characters, who perform superhuman feats.
Each has his or her attributes and associated stories. Several play
musical instruments including the flute and castanets.