Dongfang Sho. Nieśmiertelny. Steatyt. Chiny. XX wiek.

I believe that the sculpture depicts Dongfang Sho, a courtier of Emperor Wudi. He is considered, especially by Taoists, to be one of the Immortals.

At the emperor's court, he served as a jester and clown, although he was a well-educated man, able to recite literary writings from memory, and was himself the author of poetic prose. As he was not averse to alcohol, he could be malicious and sarcastic. He became the hero of numerous folk legends and stories. They claimed that he stole the peach of immortality from Heaven, which the Queen Mother had been growing for thousands of years for the Jade Emperor. In doing so, he gained immortality himself. He appeared in the world through numerous reincarnations in forms as colorful as himself.

The sculpture is made of steatite, a mineral that occurs in many varieties, including one known as soapstone, which is characterized by its great softness and ease of processing, and is very popular and widespread in Eastern art. I think the sculpture was created in the mid-20th century in a provincial workshop. It is closer to the tradition of folk art than to the workshops of the great masters, although it is difficult to deny its beauty. It is full of various symbolic details, which my rather symbolic knowledge in this matter does not comprehend. I only hope that I have correctly identified the Immortal, although I cannot say for sure.

The sculpture is 24 cm high, 20 cm wide, and 8 cm deep. Unfortunately, a fragment of the chain is broken, which is probably due to the fragility of the material from which it was made.