Lu Tung Pin 1750

This is a porcelain figure of Lu Tung Pin, one of the Eight Immortals in the Taoist pantheon. Note the fan that he holds. A symbol not merely of comfort, but of transformation. In the Taoist tradition, the fan possesses the power to revive the souls of the dead. This motif echoes across cultures: think of the flabellum in early Christian art, used to honor sacred relics, or the fans used to cool icons, warding off the heathens. It is an instrument of respect, a barrier against the profane. The serene face and flowing robes evoke a sense of timelessness and spiritual transcendence. Consider how the symbol of the fan, wielded by Lu Tung Pin, persists, yet it takes on new layers of meaning, ever reflective of the human desire to traverse the boundaries between life and death.