Historically deities and deified humans have played a significant role in Asia the spiritual, cultural and daily life activities. In China and India, these beings serve a significant role in human activities by monitoring individual’s activities and responding with rewards or punishment. Deities and legends are propitiated in temples and home altars and shrines with offerings to protect and aid the living. The large pantheon of Chinese major and minor deities and legendary figures have been worshiped since ancient times. Gods created the world and humans and keep everything safe and well-functioning. Gods and deified legendary humans live the heavenly realms of immortality and are actively involved with human activities from intimate moments to events of national importance. Along with ancestors, gods have been a bridge between the living and the deceased and are revered and propitiated to watch over the living. The most venerated Chinese gods are the Jade Emperor, Queen Mother of the West, the Eight Immortals, Guanyin, Matsu, and the gods of wealth, war, literature, and happiness. Although outlawed as superstition in 1949 by the Communist Party, deities and legendary figures are still worshipped in Chinese homes world wide..
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The Eight Immortals were Taoist Deities who achieved immortality using different paths, usually dwell in mountains and hills, are portrayed singly, in pairs or as a group and are common deities seen in Taoist temples. They are folk heroes and most were actual people to whom extraordinary powers were attributed. Both Buddhist bodhisattvas and Taoist sages…
This Chinese-Republic porcelain is the Taoist Deity Lu Dongbin, one of the Eight Immortals, holding his identifying symbol, a fly whisk. Fly whisks were used by Buddhists and Taoists to deflect insects without hurting them which was viewed as a way to allay ones problems and difficulties. Fly whisk (yun chou) means cloud sweeper, which…
The rare antique tribal silver amulet depicts the Hindu Gods Ganesh and his consort Parvati. Ganesh removes obstacles, brings fortune, wears a crown and joyfully holds up his trunk. His large elephant head and ears symbolize knowledge through listening and reflection and his four arms symbolize the four aspects of Hinduism, the four Vedas (ancient…
The enamel painted designs on the front of this Yixing teapot have recognizable symbols relating to a wish for long and healthy life. This scene from the Peking opera Romance of Three Kingdoms romanticizes historical Han dynasty Three Kingdoms period events and includes symbolic images of the two bowing men on the left holding brooms…
This is Kebo Taruna mask a powerful historical Balinese minister (patih) from the 14th century. Considered a folk-art, Hindu-cultural-and-ritual-art, ethnic art and offerings to the gods, masks are danced in a historical drama with the music of a percussion orchestra (gamelan). Balinese-masks are carved using a light durable wood called pulai that enhances pigments and…
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