This finely-cast figure of Wenchang, with a gentle countenance, is dressed as a high official in long and flowing robes. The robe is embellished with a pattern of cranes flying amid clouds; the crane being the insignia of first rank civil officials during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644). The designs on the robes are rendered in relatively thick silver-wire inlay, which emboldens the patterns and gives them a tactile quality. Wenchang, the God of Literature who is thought to control the fates of scholar-officials, is one of the most popular gods in Daoism and Chinese popular religion and continues to be venerated today. He originated as a local deity in Sichuan province and rose in prominence from the Tang dynasty (618–907). During the Yuan dynasty (1279–1368), official temples for Wenchang were established in schools and the veneration of Wenchang continued to flourish nationwide in the Ming and Qing (1644–1911) dynasties.
