A LARGE CARVED WOOD CONGRATULATION PLAQUE Lot n° 76

A LARGE CARVED WOOD CONGRATULATION PLAQUE China, Qing dynasty, 19th century Rectangular shape, the floral relief arabesque enclosing inscriptions, including the central one with the larger characters 杖国耆英 (Zhang guo qi ying). 70 x 205 x 5 cm Provenance: Italian private collection. Large plaques with this inscription were made to honor a person of particular value on his seventieth birthday, an age particularly revered in China since ancient times.