Figure of Zhang Guolao (one of the Eight Immortals)
Unknown Artist
19th century
Medium
Porcelain painted in polychrome enamels on the biscuit (Jingdezhen ware)
Dimensions
H. 14 1/4 in. (36.2 cm); W. 4 1/4 in. (10.8 cm); D. 3 1/4 in. (8.3 cm)
Classification
Ceramics
Culture & Period
China · Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Benjamin Altman, 1913
Accession Number
14.40.210a, b
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite porcelain figure depicts Zhang Guolao, of the beloved Eight Immortals from Chinese Taoist folklore. Known for his eccentric wisdom and longevity, Zhang Guolao is often shown as an elderly sage riding a donkey backward, symbolizing humility and reversal of worldly pursuits. Crafted in 19th-century China during the Qing dynasty (164–1911), this captures the immortals' enduring popularity in art, where they embodied good fortune, spiritual power, and protection for households. Produced at Jingdezhen, the renowned imperial porcelain center, the figure is made of biscuit porcelain—a...