Carved Figure of Chinese Immortal Li Tie Guai with Fu Lion Dog
DateQing Dynasty, possibly 19th century
Object NameFigure
Mediumsoapstone
ClassificationsApplied Art
Dimensions12.5 x 3.9cm
AcquisitionBequeathed in 1928 by Miss Ann Reid.
LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub
Object numberABDMS024050
About MeCarved beige/red soapstone figure of Chinese Immortal Li Tie Guai, seated and holding a Fu Lion Dog.
Li Tie Guai is one of the Chinese Eight Immortals, a group of deities revered by the Taoist religion and a popular within Chinese secular culture. Each of the immortals is attributed with a special power. Li Tie Guai is often depicted with a gourd, which contains his soul and is said to fight for the oppressed and needy.
Hardstone carving is a form of decorative art that has been a part of Chinese culture for over 3,000 years. This is largely due to many of the precious and semi-precious stones used, such as jade, turquoise, malachite, quartz and agate, occurring naturally in certain territories of China.
These different types of stones feature a wide variety of properties that Chinese artists were able to exploit, incorporating the natural coloration and textural qualities of the stones into their designs. Soapstone in particular has a wide colour range, from white through to almost black, depending on its composition. It is so named because of its soap like texture that derives from a 30% to 80% talc content, which also gives it its softness, making it easy to intricately carve.
Qing Dynasty, possibly 19th century
Possibly 19th century
Qing Dynasty, possibly 19th century
Edo Period, possibly late 18th century
Qing Dynasty, possibly 19th century
Qing Dynasty, possibly 19th century
Qing Dynasty, 19th century
