Fu, Lu, Shou theme of decoration
Translated as the wish for Happiness (Fu), Good/stable income (Lu) and a long life (Shou) this is a common theme in decorative art especially during the Qing Dynasty.
Embodied as figures it occurs as the three Daoist (Taoist) Star Gods Fu-xing happy - Fu - while carrying a boy since he lived long enough to see his grandchild; Lu-xing accompanied by a deer, with a good/stable income - Lu - the word sounding the same as the word for "deer", and Shou-xing the Good of Longevity - Shou - often as a bald old man, often with a peach in hand or surrounded by lingzhi funguses. The decoration can also occur reduced to its attributes i.e. pine tree, lingzhi fungus, deer or/and a bat.
When placed in order, the figures are usually seen from right to left, with Fu on the right, Lu in the middle, and Shou on the left.
Back to Chinese Porcelain Collectors Page