This figure of Shangdi, the Master of Heavens is shown seated with his hands on his knees. Celestial guardians stand on either side of him. A snake and a tortoise are intertwined at his feet symbolising the north or Little Bear. The figure is covered in a turquoise enamel glaze. Shangdi (上帝, pinyin, Shàngdì) is the Supreme God in the original religious system of the Han Chinese people and chiefly associated with Heaven.
