Kuixing: God of Scholars
1900
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1900
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
Kuixing: God of Scholars is a 1900 paint by Unknown, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows a blue-skinned figure floating above fluffy white clouds. The character has wild orange hair, a fierce expression, and a red cloth draped around its neck. One hand holds a small object like a ball, while the other grips a brush or tool. The figure wears a striped skirt and has a long, curled tail. The writing around the figure is in Chinese characters, which often label the subject in traditional art. This painting likely comes from East Asia, where gods like this one were linked to learning and exams. Check out the Victoria and Albert Museum to see more works like this in person.
The painting depicts Kuixing, the God of Scholars, as a blue figure with a pink shawl draped over the upper body and green flowing trousers, a yellow patterned scarf tied around the waist. The deity holds a pen and ink pot aloft in both hands, positioned above the head, while standing on clouds. Nine characters are inscribed vertically along the right edge of the rectangular composition, and a red maker’s mark appears in the lower left corner. The work is part of a series of household god depictions acquired in 1910 from Mrs. Amherst-Law and catalogued under accession numbers E.3177-1910 to…
Read the full account in the museum source.
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