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I have a small (6cm tall) bronze figure that (I believe) depicts a Buddhist Arhat atop a deer. The Arhat looks distinctly Chinese or Asian, the piece is a 2-piece casting, and the deer has lost its antlers somewhere across the centuries.

I didn't think much of it until an archaeologist friend who's concentration is on Byzantine and Roman works saw it and said "Oh, that's a Silk Road piece, and quite old I think".

The piece came from the estate of a Pennsylvania Mennonite family that did missionary work in the 1960's, but that's all I know by way of provenance. I've googled and searched collections until my eyes were red, and haven't found other examples to place a time period, region or other information on this little fellow.

Perhaps some of you here can speak to it? Additional images are at the URL listed.

Thanks!

Steve



Link :Picasaweb Image Album

This may be an image of Shouxing, the Daoist Star God of Longevity, who sometimes uses a deer as his conveyance.

Here is a link to a site that shows another such image, albeit larger, and with the antlers still intact. Your deity's left hand may be holding a peach, which also is symbolic of long life.

The Daoist Longevity God also is known as Shoulao and uses the crane as conveyance. I suggest you research the subject at wikipedia.org for an understanding of how the identities of Daoist deities evolved.

Best regards,

Bill H.

URL Title :Shouxing

Bill,

After looking around (quite a bit!) further, I agree this may be a Taoist piece, although I found only the bronze you linked to identified as Shouxing. His left hand does appear to be holding a "round-ish" object, which may well represent a peach. I found a few identified as Louzi, and several just identified as "scholar" or "immortal", but not one darned bronze quite like this one.

Also, I found none this small, and nearly all the other "figure on a deer" themed Chinese pieces were censers or incense holders. This one seems more like a personal devotional item that one might travel with.

I'm wondering now if the style of the figure on the deer, along with the method of casting might place this piece in a particular time period and region, which might help narrow down the identity of the mystery man?

I'm including photos showing the two-part casting assembly, as some folks apparently can't access the picassa album I linked.

- Steve

Perhaps others have a better basis to estimate the age of your bronze, but anything from me would be guesswork, as I don't own a piece much like it. However, I am aware that "Louzi" (Laozi), the founder of Daoism, usually is pictured riding an ox.

Best regards,

Bill H.

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