The God of Longevity
The God of Longevity, better known as Laoshouxing
in the country, is a favorite subject with the Huishan clay
figurine molders of Wuxi. His image is also frequently seen
in ivory and porcelain objects of art.
The god, created out of the human wish to live a long life, is distinguished
by an abnormally large, protruding and deep-lined forehead, white beard,
long eyebrows, broad nose, square mouth with thick lips, and three holes
in each ear. He is said to have lived a long time ago, being a man tranquil
in nature and good at self-cultivation by meditation, knowing how to
keep free from all cries and worries and to follow the course of nature
in everything. For this reason, he lived a long life. According to legend,
he showed no signs of ageing in his 767th year and , when reaching the
age of 800, he complained that he had not lived long enough. Later generations
have made him the symbol of longevity, and well0wisher
have often given a picture or a statue of him as a birthday present.
A colorful statue of Laoshouxing stands at the door
of the reception room of the Huishan Clay Figurine
Factory, Wuxi. As a clay figure, it is of a good size, being 1.10 meters
tall and 60 centimeters across and molded out of 300 kilograms of wet
clay. When you visit the factory, he will most probably be still there,
wishing you a long life with his characteristic smile.
|
