Chinese sage: Lu Dongbin
ca. 1750
Medium
Soft-paste porcelain
Classification
Ceramics-Porcelain
Culture
British, Bristol
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Constance D. Stieglitz, in memory of her husband, Marcel H. Stieglitz, 1964
Accession Number
64.142.102
Tags
Art Historical Context
This charming soft-paste porcelain figure, created around 1750 at the Bristol factory in England, portrays Lu Dongbin, one of the most revered figures among the Eight Immortals of Daoism. Standing as a wise elder with flowing robes and a sword, the sculpture captures the sage’s legendary attributes as a scholar, poet, and protector against evil. Produced during the height of Europe’s fascination with Asian themes, known as chinoiserie, the work reflects British potters’ imaginative interpretations of Chinese spiritual traditions rather than direct copies. Soft-paste porcelain, developed in Eu...