Taoist Immortals Drinking Banquet Antique Chinese Carved Boxwood Statue 八仙
Antique Chinese Boxwood Carving
Taoist Immortals 八仙
Drinking Celebrations
Circa: Early Republic, 1930-50S'
H 12.5 in. (32cm), W 7 in. (18cm), D 5 in. (12.5cm)
Condition: very good!
The Eight Immortals are considered to be signs of prosperity and longevity in Taoism. Here in this spectacular boxwood carving, two figures from the Eight Taoist Immortals legend are flawlessly fused with dramatic dynamism. The standing figure depicts Ho Hsien Ku 何仙姑, the goddess of health and well being, and the patron saint of family and home. She is gently poised sideways, a twirling ribbon flowing above her left shoulder, clinging to her right is basket of flowers and two longevity peaches by her waist side, a fly-whisk ties to her right wrist, with a wine cup in hand, she appears to be reluctantly accepting a drink offered by the seated immortal, Lu Tung Pin 呂洞賓, the Exorcist once saved her from a malignant demon in the wood, who was also said to be the original grandmaster of Qigong, the martial art of Drunken Kung Fu, and the originator of “The Secret of the Golden Flower”, a classic work of Chinese philosophy on meditation.
This carving displaying a variety of textures, with inlay eyes and teeth, meticulously carved parallel hairlines, and sinuous waves of manifolded fabrics, masterfully integrated the two Taoist figures, in an intertwined assemblage of intricately carved articles of various sorts. The carving is on quality boxwood. It conveys a certain playfulness with reverence for the Taoist philosophy of non-being. As shown in the closeup photo, there are two tiny age cracks on this piece. The statue is otherwise undamaged and is in very good condition.