A CHINESE FAMILLE-ROSE 'DEER AND PEONIES' DISH Qing Dynasty, 18th Century 清十八世紀 粉彩牡丹鹿紋盤 Painted to the centre with a stag and a doe walking amongst sprigs of lingzhi and large flowering peonies issuing from behind a rocky outcrop, enclosed by a border of large colourful peony blossoms borne from leafy stems, 23.2cm diameter Note: The word for deer is a homophone of good fortune, and also relates to a civil official's attractive salary. Deer were also believed to live to a great age, therefore symbolising longevity, and it was thought that they were the only animal capable of finding the sacred fungus of longevity, lingzhi.