Tekkai Sennin

Coral 82 x 55 x 26 mm, pupils and the gourd stopper of black horn, Josui, 19th century.

The carver has deftly made the immortal look as grotesque and comical as possible. The figure, bending forward in an exaggerated manner and leaning on a knotty walking staff, is carved so as to exploit the irregular shape of the piece of coral. His robe covers only one shoulder and his elbow is visible through a hole in it. A leafy apron is tied around his waist, and on his shoulder is a gourd. His left hand pinches a lesion on his neck into view. His head is exaggerately extended forward.

The figure represents the Daoist immortal Tekkai as a mendicant. One day Tekkai Sennin (Chin.: Li Tieguai), one of the Eight Immortals, wanted to meet Laozi on Mt. Hua. Tekkai's soul travelled there while is body remained behind, lifeless-looking. When the immortal returned he discovered that his body had been cremated and buried. He was forced to take on another body, that of a lame beggar who had just died. This explains why Tekkai is so often represented as mendicant cripple with an ugly face and an iron crutch, his anima exhaling off on its fateful journey though pouted lips.