Antique Queen Mother of the West Casting Out Demons, China (16093BSK)

Description

The Taoist Queen-Mother of the West is the most significant of female Taoist-deities and as a syncretic deity, has a huge Popular Religion and Buddhist cult following and is a patron deity of women. Among the Taoist-deities, she is one of the Great Chinese Goddesses who controls life and death, creation destruction and determines the life span of all living beings. Her Images are in local Temples, shrines and home altars where local artisans made carvings different from those sanctioned by religious, imperial, or government entities. Provincial carvings like this are more like folk art  deities, modest and charming rather than ornate or refined. On her birthday, Taoists, especially women, pray to her to grant health and longevity. Her crown has her iconic phoenix over her pendulous ears and her hand is in karana mudra to cast out demons, negative energy and purify infected spaces. Her face was probably repainted decades ago as was common with spiritual images. This image which was was placed on a home altar and consecrated with a sealed and lacquered bung is in very good condition with surface losses and cracks consistent with age. This carving is part of the VA Spiritual-and-Inspirational Collection of Deities-and-Legends.

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