Shoulao, the God of Longevity

Shoulao appears as a benevolent old man with a finely incised long beard and prominent forehead. He holds in his hands his symbol, a large peach of longevity. Behind him is his tall dragon-headed staff, from which dangles a scroll. A young boy, standing on a rock-like formation that resembles the mushrooms of longevity, clings to his sleeve. A bat hovers over his shoulder, and a crouching deer looks up at him.

The bat, known as fu in Chinese, is a homophone for the word for blessings; the deer, lu, is a homophone for the word for rank and emoluments. The bat and the deer, therefore, are rebuses for Fuxing and Luxing, the Gods of Blessings and Emoluments. Consequently, all three popular deities are present in the same jade carving. Their images, from roughly printed woodcuts to silver and gold statues, once adorned most homes in China. This piece may have been commissioned by a wealthy household or presented as a gift to wish the recipient blessings.