In China the ling chih fungus grows on tree trunks and is an emblem of immortality. It grew in the Taoist Isles of the Blest where the deer grazed and as a longevity symbol it often carries one in its mouth. A favourite subject for porcelain since the days of…
When the west first accessed wares of true Chinese porcelain they seemed magically translucent, resonant when struck, impervious to liquids, aesthetically pleasing with great beauty of form. One of the earliest records of ‘true’ porcelain in the west is pieces listed in Queen Elizabeth 1’s 1574 inventories (pursseline’ or purselyn…
