Day 88 - Laozi in jade


September 12, 2018

Gallery 222 contains works that reprise the theme of figural representation, this time presenting images of Buddhist and Daoist immortals. The gallery also houses a collection of jade objects given to the museum.  

One piece I notice is an 18th or 19th century rock  crystal statuette of a bearded "drunken immortal," who lies on his side asleep. I realize that I may be wrong in assuming that opprobrium was attached to drunkenness. Maybe it was perceived as a means of achieving a visionary, transcendant state?

 Most of the jade leaves me cold, I confess, although I recognize the craft and skill involved in carving such a hard substance. But I can't help but admire today's object, a jade plaque about 10 inches long and perhaps 8 inches high. Dating from the  18th century and carved in deep relief, it shows Laozi, the founder of Daoism, riding a beast (a water buffalo?) along a narrow ridge trail in the mountains. The trail appears to be suspended above a grotto. According to the caption, Laozi is en route to meet the Queen Mother of the West, who is riding a cloud in the upper lefthand part of the scene.  I really like  the delicacy with which the trees in the foreground are carved and the way in which both the trees and the mounted figure stand out from the background.

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