Posted By: Bill H
Posted Date: Apr 12, 2011 (12:52 AM)
Auspicious toads with an affinity for gold coins and commensurate ability to make their owners rich are the thing of Daoist legend in China. They have counterparts in Japanese myth as well. However, finding and catching one isn't easy.
One of the better known stories in China is of the ancient alchemist Liu Hai, who managed to catch a three-legged money toad to serve him. I've downoaded a couple of images here of an antique Yixing pottery model, along with the URL to a website with further information on Liu Hai and his toad.
Your model, which looks like a family portrait of money toads, appears to be modern from the carving style. Since all of your toads seem to have their limbs intact, I would think they probably represent the general myth instead of a specific legend. While this certainly looks like a soapstone carving, I've also seen some money toads cast in resin and painted in a similar fashion.
Best regards,
Bill H.
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