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Group of Immortals Offering Blessings
Ch’iu Ying (ca. 1494-1552)
Ming Dynasty
Early in Ch’iu Ying’s career, his talent was discovered by Chou Ch’en, who took him as his pupil. Ch’iu Ying eventually attained fame. All of his paintings have the skilled delicacy of the Imperial Painting Academy, yet maintain the refinement of the literati spirit. According to Record of Travels to the East, one day, the Eight Immortals gathered to celebrate the Mother Goddess of the West. Returning from the festival, they encountered a large sea. Lu Tung-pin suggested that they not go by their customary passage--the clouds--and cross the water, so they had to discard their possessions. "Crutches" Li threw in his cane, Han Fei-tzu his flower basket, Lu Tung-pin his horn, Lan Ts’ai-ho his castinets, and Chang Kuo-lao, Ts’ao Kuo-chiu, Chung Han-li, and Ho Hsien-ku each discarded their paper donkey, jade tablet, drum, and bamboo cover, respectively. The story became known as "The Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea" and appears quite often in traditional painting and folk art. The work here, due to its delicate style, opulent colors, and the appear-ance of a Ch’iu Ying signature and seal, is considered to be late Ming (1368-1644) or early Ch’ing (1645-1911).
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