Notable for its vibrant style, remarkable realism and meticulous attention to detail, the painting on this plaque is both dynamic and evocative, and executed by Wang Qi 王琦 (1884-1937). A native of Xinjianxian, Jiangxi province, Wang began his career at seventeen and became one of China’s most talented literati school porcelain painters. After the Qing dynasty fell, the demand for Imperial porcelain from Jingdezhen, China's primary production centre, decreased. This allowed porcelain artists to explore new markets and develop innovative styles. In 1928, eight leading artists, including Wang Qi, formed the ‘Full Moon Society’ (Yueman Hui), meeting during the full moon to discuss art. The group later became known as 'The Eight Friends of Zhushan' (Zhushan Bayou). Wang’s early style was influenced by Qian Hui’an (1833-1911), characterised by the gongbi style of figures against plain backgrounds. However, the style of the present plaque reflects Wang Qi's mature style, which evolved after a 1916 trip to Shanghai where he attended an exhibition by the 'Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou' (Yangzhou Baguai 揚州八怪). Inspired by Huang Shen 黃慎 (1687-1772), Wang adopted rapid, expressionistic brushstrokes and whimsical, exaggerated figures with sparse backgrounds, combined with long calligraphic inscriptions in running or cursive script. Huang’s influence on Wang is evident in the rendering of the figures’ clothing with angular broken lines, combined with fine brushstrokes and delicate shading to create highly expressive features. The contrast between abbreviated and calligraphic brushstrokes and carefully painted details, adding volume to the figures, characterises Wang’s unique style, which the artist further developed by incorporating Western techniques, using light and shading to blend realism and impressionism harmoniously. Wang Qi often depicted Daoist or Buddhist subjects, well-known fictional characters, or celebrated scholars, as seen on the presen plaque. Shou Lao, also known as Shou Xing, is one of the Three Star Gods in Chinese mythology representing longevity. His depiction with a deer and lingzhi fungus symbolises long life, health, and prosperity, as the word for deer (lu) sounds like the word for emolument. Magu, depicted as eternally young and beautiful, symbolises the ideal of ageless beauty and the rejuvenating power of nature, emphasising the Daoist pursuit of immortality and eternal youth. Liu Hai, often identified as a historical alchemist from the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, is also celebrated in Daoist tradition for his magical abilities and quest for spiritual immortality. Together with his three-legged toad, associated with the moon and immortality, Liu Hai underscores the auspicious wish for wealth and prosperity, as the character chan for toad is a homophone for the character for money. The inscription on the plaque, signed by Wang Qi, reads: 西飛青雀幾時還 貝闕琳宮縹緲間筆底春風殊未老 蟠桃積核已如山 Which maybe translated as: When will the green sparrows return from the west, Between the seashell pavilions and jewelled palaces, a misty expanse? Beneath the brush, the spring breeze remains ever young, Peach seeds pile up like mountains, yet not aged.This poem, like many of his artistic creations, reflects Wang’s deep connection to Chinese cultural heritage and his mastery in combining poetry with visual art. Compare with a related porcelain plaque by Wang Qi depicting Liu Hai playing with his three-legged toad, which features the same seals and calligraphic style as the current plaque, illustrated in Masterworks of the Eight Friends of Zhushan. Figural Subjects, Nanchang, 2017, pl.001. Additionally, two porcelain plaques by Wang Qi, each showing a young female immortal floating among clouds, executed in similar style to Magu on the present plaque, are illustrated in Ibid., pls.006 and 007. See also a porcelain plaque by Wang Qi depicting an aged male immortal, the face executed in the same realistic manner as the Shoulao depicted on the present plaque and similarly accompanied by a calligraphic inscription and seals, illustrated by Geng Baochang, Masterworks of the Eight Friends of Zhushan, vol.1, Nanchang, 2004, pp.226-227, no.129A related but much smaller porcelain plaque depicting a Daoist Immortal, also dated to the Wuchen year (1928) and bearing the same two seals as the present plaque, was sold at Bonhams, London, 10 November 2011, lot 585.