Carved Chests and the Eight Immortals

KG has an early-20th century Chinese (Qing) Dynasty carved camphor chest (41” long), of little monetary value ($350-400), as these are relatively common, but it bears priceless symbolism. Would I keep this or sell it? Read on. Regarding the spiritual side of this chest, I would keep it around for protection!

Look at the carving on the lower panel of the trunk and you will see 10 figures carved in deep relief. These are the Eight Immortals with two attendants.

The canonical group of Eight Immortals is often portrayed on these imported Chinese chests, grouped as a line of deities who are traveling together. The environment on this chest is represented by the stylized clouds and waves along the edges. Perhaps they all journey to the Peach Banquet of Immortality hosted by the Queen Mother of the West. The large dragon in the roundel at the top is dynamic, its snarl surrounded by swirls, creating a powerful image of protection.

The most important function of the Immortals is to offer mortals an example of resilience and resourcefulness, because in their journeys they do not need a vessel: they rely, each one, on their unique superpower. The parable? When faced with a stormy sea (in life), each one trusts in his/her “gift,” and we all have one!

Pictured on household furnishings, the combined presence of all Eight Immortals, each with a magical weapon or talisman, carries auspicious associations with protection, good fortune, longevity, and harmony.

Signaling out one of the immortals is helpful as well: When unwell, call upon Li Tieguai, who, in the center of the chest’s lower panel, walks with an iron crutch and carries a medicine gourd; or call upon He Xiangu, the female, who wears a health-giving lotus symbolizing purity, enlightenment, and a zenith of health. 

Call upon the Immortals as a group when facing a personal trial or facing a risk. Because these folks were once mortal, they are reachable, approachable; they know what hardships we mortals endure. This sense of individual determinism is told in the fable, “The Eight Immortals Cross the Sea,” the Taoist tale of the achievements of the blessed ones who have attained Taoist perfection.

I have seen such chests carved with hard-to-interpret motifs: large sailing vessels, soldiers on horseback, and, most interestingly, pagodas in gardens, and court ladies playing cards. The chests may describe a beloved folktale. 

The Eight Immortals:

The female figure with the lotus leaf is the symbol of eternal and spiritual health, He Xiangu.

The figure with a bamboo flute, which is magical and causes plants to grow and flowers to blossom, and is patron of gardeners, is Han Xiangzi.

The figure with the long straight object is holding a tubular drum, which would suggest Zhang Guolao; if the object is instead a fan, the figure could be Zhongli Quan.

Next, Lü Dongbin, a scholar, wears his cap and bears his magical sword against evil spirits, and has a special smirk on his face.

Then comes the famed healer of the sick, the Iron Crutch Li Tieguai, with his walking staff, and tattered clothes, holding a magic gourd filled with potions.

Now, Cao Guojiu, who gave up his position in the Imperial Palace to follow the Tao, carries the evidence of his nobility on the jade tablets over his shoulder.

Then, the musician of the fish drum, Zhang Guolao (referenced above), uses his tube-drum of bamboo to tell futures and to sing Taoist ballads.

Finally, the androgynous deity Lan Caihe with one shoe, the patron of gardeners, who carries a flower basket.

Each Immortal is special; perhaps the favorite is Lu Dongbin, who was once a mortal who enjoyed sex, romance, and material possessions. A scholar and a Tang Dynasty poet, he was immortalized as having undergone 10 trials to prove himself worthy. These trials taught Lu Dongbin that the world’s material achievements mean nothing. 

The Eight Immortals also entered 20th-century popular culture in some wonderfully unexpected ways. Jackie Chan’s Drunken Master famously features the “Eight Drunken Immortals” as a series of martial arts forms, each inspired by one of the legendary figures. The Eight Immortals also appear in Jackie Chan Adventures, an animated television series that featured the ancient Chinese figures turned into a modern adventure story. In the X-Men Adventures, the Eight protect China from the evil mutant Xorn. And in the Marvel Comics universe, the Eight continue their reign in “Immortal Iron Fist,” where their legendary powers are woven into the world of kung fu superheroes.

So auspicious is the number eight (the infinity symbol) that the Beijing 2008 Olympics began at 8:08 pm on 8/8/2008.