Antique/Vintage Porcelain Taoist Immortal, Chinese Republic (17034GRK)

Description

This Chinese-Republic porcelain is the Taoist-Deity Lu Dongbin, one of the Eight Immortals. Fly whisks were used by Buddhists and Taoists to whisk away insects without hurting them and they are seen as a way of melting away ones problems and difficulties. The word fly whisk is yun chou meaning cloud sweeper, which describes Lu Dongbin’s magical whisk he uses to fly to and walk on clouds and oceans. Although many porcelain figures during this period were made for export, Taoist Immortals images  were made for the domestic market. The Eight-Immortals (pa hsien or baxien) are legendary Taoists-Deities each of whom achieved immortality. Popularized in novels, folklore, dramas, woodblock prints and decorative and ceramic art, they exemplify Chinese society: male and female, civil and military, young and old and rich and poor. They are worshipped as gods of longevity and the auspicious objects they carry are also symbols of long life. Among the most popular subjects in China, they are portrayed singly, in pairs or as a group and are folk heroes with vast powers and are often used in feng shui. Each has a personality with foibles and carries a unique object giving them auspicious powers. After the Qing dynasty fell in 1912 and was replaced with the Chinese Republic, porcelain production declined in imperial kilns but was revived in Southern China’s Jiangxi Province which made high-quality finely designed Chinese Republic porcelains in private kilns. With few restraints, they produced more colorful pieces with unique Western shapes and styles. These late Qing, Republic Period and even later 20th-century porcelains are now recognized for their high quality, clear white finishes, striking glazes and unique designs and have become highly collectible. This figurine is part of the VA Antique-Chinese-Ceramics-and-Pottery and Deities-and-Legends Collections.

Sources:

Terese Tse Bartholomew, Hidden Meanings in Chinese Art, San Francisco, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, 2006.

“Collector’s Guide to Republic and 20^TH Century Chinese Porcelain,

Carolyn Ann Greene, Politics and Patronage: A Re-examination of Late Qing Dynasty Porcelain, 1850-1920, Dissertation, Phoenix, Arizona State University, 2019.