The Taoist deity Queen Mother of the West (Hsi Wang Mu or Xiwangmu) is the most significant female deity in the Taoist pantheon and is highly regarded in Chinese Popular Religion where she is a major magical deity with a huge cult following. Her powers include her control over life, creation and death and destruction and she determines the life span of every living being. She is the keeper of the Tao, the grantor of prosperity, and the goddess of righteousness and lives in the Western Paradise in the Kunlun where she grows her famed peach tree that blooms once every 3000 years and offers immortality to whoever eats the peaches. See the blog Queen Mother of the West Xiwangmu.
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Exquisite carved Queen Mother of the West, elaborate phoenix in crown. Most significant Taoist female deity, patron of women, divine teacher, determines length of people’s lives, associated with virtue and peaches of immortality.
Rare depiction of Queen Mother of the West puppet head wearing elaborate headdress with outstretched tortoise legs atop a phoenix, reflecting early shamanism rites of turtle shell divination. Mounted on acrylic base.
Antique Xiwangmu puppet head with 3 phoenixes in crown, traditional Qing head ware worn by the Empress for official occasions, ceremonies. Acrylic stand.
This Guanyin image was probably one of a pair of images along with the Taoist Queen Mother of the West (16206A-WACK) placed together on a community, local temple or home altar. Created by the same local artisan, they are provincial rather than imperial style having a humble, unadorned and simple rendering, seated on backless thrones, hands covered by a ritual cloth, uncharacteristic of Guanyin but common for Taoist goddesses. Both wear layered robes and a high pointed crown – the Queen Mother’s centered by a phoenix and Guanyin’s by a flower surrounded by symbolic aureole of radiating light. Both have soft blissful smiles with eyes cast slightly downwards to engage their devotees. Initially covered in bright polychrome colors, there are traces of surviving red, yellow, green, brown and black.
This Queen Mother of the West, the highest ranking female Taoist deity was probably displayed as a pair along a statue of Guanyin, the most significant Buddhism female (Guanyin on a Lotus Pedestal (16206B) highlighting the importance and similarity of these revered female images Like the Guanyin, the Queen Mother’s delicately carved face has half closed eyes, serene composure mouth with a hint of a smile, which is more Buddhist than Taoist. Her headdress, centered by her iconic phoenix, rests under a hood extending to her shoulders and back. She wears a high collared three-layered Taoist robe, her hands covered by a ritual cloth.
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