Daoist immortal Laozi

Chen Yanqing Chinese

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 215

Identified by his full beard, Laozi is the quasi-historical author of the seminal Daoist text Dao de jing (The Way and Its Power). In addition to its sumptuous gilding and sensitive presentation, this sculpture is remarkable for its long inscription on the underside of the pendant robe indicating that it was commissioned by an official from a northwestern frontier city for his mother in the Ming capital, Nanjing.

Daoist immortal Laozi, Chen Yanqing (active 15th century), Gilt copper alloy, China

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Daoist immortal Laozi, Chen Yanqing (active 15th century), Gilt copper alloy, China
Daoist immortal Laozi, Chen Yanqing (active 15th century), Gilt copper alloy, China

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