Blue-and-white Plate with Designs of Flying Crane and Taoist Secret Talismanic Writing

The Daoism talismanic symbols are curly stroked graphs that are used for surprising and exorcising evil spirits in Taoist rituals. A fervent Daoist believer, the Jiajing Emperor was extremely drawn to Daoist medicine, divination and relevant activities. Motifs associating with immortality, such as the lingzhi fungus, the eight trigrams, strings of precious stones, the eight Daoist immortals, and cranes with clouds, can always be found on the porcelain wares from the official kilns. This large dish shows refined craftsmanship. It is considered a masterpiece from the official kiln of the Jiajing period.