A returning ancestress

Panel, Daoguang period, 1821-1850, Minneapolis Institute of Art: Chinese, South and Southeast Asian Art

This panel presents the Daoist God of Longevity (Shou) holding a staff accompanied by a spotted deer, the Queen Mother of the West (Xi Wangmu), a goddess, and a young attendant holding a bowl containing peaches. The peach, known in China as the “fairy fruit,” was always linked to immortality. According to legend, the peach tree that grew in the gardens of Xi Wangmu was said to blossom once in 3,000 years and to yield the fruit of eternal life, which took another 3,000 years to ripen. The peach was therefore a chief ingredient in the elixir of the Daoists. Size: 108 x 54in. (274.3 x 137.2cm) Medium: Silk