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The Drunken Immortal Li'tieh-kuai with Base
The Drunken Immortal Li'tieh-kuai with Base

The Drunken Immortal Li'tieh-kuai with Base

CultureChinese
DateMing dynasty (1368-1644)
MediumCarved wood
DimensionsOverall: 6 5/8 × 9 × 5 1/8 inches (16.83 × 22.86 × 13.02 cm)
Credit LineBequest of Laurence Sickman
Object numberF88-37/99 A,B
On View
Not on view
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Gallery Label

The Daoist immortals are known for their spiritual ability to transcend the physical world and have become popular in Chinese culture as powerful symbols of longevity. Li Tieguai (Iron Clutch Li), one of the most popular immortals, is worshiped as a divine saint for helping the sick and unfortunate. Legend says that Li adopted the corpse of a beggar for his body when his handsome earthly body was accidentally cremated while his soul was on an out-of-body journey. That story inspired many artists to create grotesque images of him, such as that seen in this sculpture.


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