Sunday 18 May 2014

God of longevity

This is a shoushan carving of the God of Longevity (Shou), one of three gods known as Fu, Lu, and Shou (福禄寿).

Fu, Lu, and Shou  福禄寿;  is the concept of Happiness (Fu), Prosperity (Lu), and Longevity (Shou). This concept of the Chinese traditional religion is thought to date back to the Ming Dynasty,when the Fu Star, Lu Star and Shou Star were considered to be personified deities of these attributes respectively.

The term is commonly used in Chinese culture to denote the three attributes of a good life. Statues of these three gods are found on the facades of folk religion's temples and ancestral shrines, in nearly every Chinese home and many Chinese-owned shops on small altars with a glass of water, an orange or other auspicious offerings, especially during Chinese New Year. Traditionally, they are arranged right to left (Source: Wiki).


This shoushan carving is created from the Furong stone that exhibits white, yellow and orange colours. The craftsman intelligently made use of the different colours in the stone and carved out the different parts of the body. As a result, the carving looks lively.

Shoushan carvings need a layer of oil on them to nurture and protect the stones. This is especially true in cold and dry climate where the stones may crack easily if conditions are too dry.

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