SOLD Antique Queen Mother of the West on Raised Pedestal, China (16206A-WACK)

Description

Irvin identifies the Queen-Mother of the West as one of the three Great Chinese Goddesses who all were imperially sanctioned revered by all sectors of society. All are syncretic deities embraced by Popular Folk Religion, Taoism and Buddhism, share the feminine principles of compassion and are protectors who grant health, long life and safety in distress to all devotees regardless of social class. The three had large cult followings, especially during the Ming and Qing dynasties, and were revered in small local shrines as well as large temples and monasteries dedicated to them. Guanyin and the Queen Mother share roles as guides to a serene death: Guanyin leads deceased souls to rebirth in the Buddhist Western Paradise, which is similar to the Taoist realm into which the Queen Mother guides the deceased. As one of the major Taoist-deities, major iconic feature of the Queen Mother is the phoenix in her headdress and in this image she wears a hood associated with White Robed Guanyin. Both these carving were consecrated and probably placed together on a temple or home altar.  Mounted on a frosted acrylic base, it is in very good condition although much of its black, red and green polychrome and lacquer was removed leaving traces of the original pigment and there are minor cracks and losses. This carving is part of the VA Collection of Deities-and-Legends

Click here for the Blog Queen Mother of the West Xiwangmu: Taoism’s Iconic Female Sovereign of Immortals.

Click here for the Blog Consecrating Wooden Images to Imbue Them with A Life Force

Sources:

Lee Irwin, “Divinity and Salvation: The Great Goddesses of China,” in Asian Folklore Studies, Indiana University, Vol. 49, 1990, pp 53-68.