This sculpture represents the continued interest and tradition in the production of bronzes in China, which had begun in the Shang dynasty (ca. 1600–1050 BCE). The figure exudes a sense of vitality through the billowing robes and the fluttering ribbons trailing from his cap. A double-gourd hangs from a cord fastened around the figure’s waist, which suggests that he is probably an immortal. The gourd was associated with longevity as well as protective and magical properties in Chinese culture. The figure may be Lü Dongbin, a Tang dynasty (618–907) poet and scholar who came to be venerated as one of the Eight Immortals in Daoism. Lü is regarded as the most influential of the Eight Immortals and is also revered as the Patriarch of the Daoist Quanzhen 全真 (‘Complete Perfection’) Sect.
