An impressive Chinese root carving of an immortal figure. Very well carved, the teeth are made from bone and the eyes porcelain.
Dating from around 1900, there are a couple of splits that you can see in the photos, the worst one being on the statues right arm.
The subject of the statue, I think, is Zhang Guo Lao. He is one of the Immortals known with fair certainty to be an actual historical figure. Zhang Guo Lao lived from approximately the middle of the 7th century into the 8th century, practicing as a Taoist hermit in the mountains of east-central China. For Taoists, he is regarded as a protector of children and as patron of wine and the good life.
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The Eight Immortals (Chinese: 八仙; pinyin: Bāxiān; Wade–Giles: Pa¹-hsien¹) are a group of legendary xian ("immortals") in Chinese mythology. Each immortal's power can be transferred to a vessel (法器) that can bestow life or destroy evil. Together, these eight vessels are called the "Covert Eight Immortals" (暗八仙). Most of them are said to have been born in the Tang or Song Dynasty. They are revered by the Taoists and are also a popular element in secular Chinese culture. They are said to live on a group of five islands in the Bohai Sea, which includes Mount Penglai.
Dating from around 1900, there are a couple of splits that you can see in the photos, the worst one being on the statues right arm.
The subject of the statue, I think, is Zhang Guo Lao. He is one of the Immortals known with fair certainty to be an actual historical figure. Zhang Guo Lao lived from approximately the middle of the 7th century into the 8th century, practicing as a Taoist hermit in the mountains of east-central China. For Taoists, he is regarded as a protector of children and as patron of wine and the good life.
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The Eight Immortals (Chinese: 八仙; pinyin: Bāxiān; Wade–Giles: Pa¹-hsien¹) are a group of legendary xian ("immortals") in Chinese mythology. Each immortal's power can be transferred to a vessel (法器) that can bestow life or destroy evil. Together, these eight vessels are called the "Covert Eight Immortals" (暗八仙). Most of them are said to have been born in the Tang or Song Dynasty. They are revered by the Taoists and are also a popular element in secular Chinese culture. They are said to live on a group of five islands in the Bohai Sea, which includes Mount Penglai.