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Beautiful antique Chinese tin glazed earthenware hand painted plaque with the picture of the five elderly Chinese men. The plaque is beautifully rendered with figures, trees, florals and scenery. There are some seals or stamps and a bold artist signature on the plaque.Most of the figures have convex parts. This gives the painting a three-dimensional effect. The artist''s work looks particularly effective in this technique. At first glance, it''s clear that this rare piece was created by a true master.After a diligent search on the internet, translating Chinese characters and studying various sources, we have come to the conclusion that the plaque depicts a Song Dynasty time plot of five old men (???). Su Dongpo and the others scholars came together to comment on the poems and essays. Song dynasty (960�1279) is Chinese dynasty that ruled the country during one of its most brilliant cultural epochs. In this picture, the five old men are smiling and holding a scroll depicting the Yin-Yang symbol, also known as the Taiji, is a fundamental concept in Chinese philosophy and cosmology, primarily associated with Taoism. It represents the dualistic nature of existence and the interdependence and balance between opposing forces or elements. Taiji is understood to be the highest conceivable principle from which existence flows. This is very similar to the Daoist idea ''reversal is the movement of the Dao''. The ''supreme ultimate'' creates yang and yin. Movement generates yang, and when its activity reaches its limit, it becomes peaceful. From the blending of Yin Qi and Yang Qi come the Five Elements: Earth, Metal, Water, Wood, and Fire. From the Five Elements are born the ''myriad things'' of the world. Taoist practitioners enter into a ''path of return''�a movement from the myriad things of the world back into wuji (?? originally referred to infinity). There are many ways to describe the Five Elders, but the Five Elders of Taiji, or the Five Elders of Yuan Shi, which...