Juliette Hammer
Sale Coordinator
Lot 39
A VERY LARGE BAMBOO CARVING OF MAGU AND ATTENDANTS 19th century
14 May 2025, 10:00 BST
London, New Bond Street£5,000 - £7,000
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Chen Xie
Specialist
Edward Luper
Specialist, Chinese Works of Art
Lazarus Halstead
Head of Chinese and Asian Art, London
A VERY LARGE BAMBOO CARVING OF MAGU AND ATTENDANTS
19th century
The deity deftly carved standing upright carrying a large jar of wine with cloth cover, the Immortal clad in long flowing robes and her serene face surmounted by a high chignon, beside her, two girl-attendants carry a basket of lingzhi fungus and a staff of peaches respectively.
53cm (21in) high.
The deity deftly carved standing upright carrying a large jar of wine with cloth cover, the Immortal clad in long flowing robes and her serene face surmounted by a high chignon, beside her, two girl-attendants carry a basket of lingzhi fungus and a staff of peaches respectively.
53cm (21in) high.
Footnotes
十九世紀 竹雕麻姑獻壽像
The deity depicted here is Magu (麻姑), the 'Hemp Goddess,' a revered Daoist Immortal associated with the Elixir of Life and a symbolic guardian of women. The motif represented in the present lot, Magu Offers Birthday Blessings (Magu xian shou 麻姑獻壽), is a well-known theme in Daoist iconography, symbolising longevity and divine favour. According to the Biographies of the Deities and Immortals (Shenxian zhuan 神仙傳), a Jin dynasty text, Magu was a native of Jianchang who devoted herself to Daoist cultivation on Yugu Mountain, southeast of Mouzhou. On the Queen Mother of the West's birthday — an occasion linked to Immortality and cosmic renewal — Magu is said to have brewed wine infused with lingzhi fungus by the banks of the Jiangzhu River, presenting it as an offering of longevity and auspicious blessings. This legend reinforces Magu's role as a bringer of health, vitality, and spiritual transcendence.
Compare with a related large rootwood carving of a female Immortal, 18th century, which was sold at Christie's London, 5 November 2013, lot 105.