Chinese famille rose figure of Lu Dongbin, Qianlong (1736-95), supported on a turquoise plinth with pink floral motif, dressed in long chequered robes of blue, navy, white and turquoise, holding a flywhisk in his right hand and with a strap around his chest, the tip of a scabbard visible only from the front, wearing a tall hat in the typical scholar style.
Dimensions:
Height: 21.5cm. (8 3/8in.)
Condition:
Damage to headdress [...]
Notes:
The Eight Immortals are a legendary group of Daoist figures said to have lived during the Tang or Song dynasties, and appear as a group on artwork dating back the Jin dynasty, though evidence survives suggesting that worship of individual Daoist immortal figures was prevalent during the Han. Individual porcelain figures of the Immortals were also popular during the Qing dynasty, and were displayed on family shrines. Lu Dongbin is considered to be the leader of the immortals, and is revered within the Daoist tradition as a scholar-poet in possession of great wisdom and compassion. He is associated with a historical figure, a Tang Dynasty scholar named Lu Yan who later attained immortality along with the other seven through spiritual cultivation and commitment to Daoist principles. He is also considered a patron of the martial arts and is invoked for protection and inspiration by practitioners of related disciplines. His attributes are the flywhisk, usually held in the hand, and a ‘demonslaying sword’ slung across his back, as is suggested in this figure. This sword is supposed to have great powers, enabling him to subdue dragons and other evil influences on earth.
