A white jade 'Liu Hai and toad' group, 17th century 十七世紀 白玉劉海戲蟾

James C.Y. Watt, Chinese Jades from Han to Ch’ing, Asia House Gallery, New York, 1980, cat. no. 106.

展覽：

屈志仁，《Chinese Jades from Han to Ch'ing》，亞洲協會，紐約，1980年，編號106

Originally a Tang dynasty Minister of State and alchemist, who was a proficient student of Daoist magic, Liu Hai is known as one of the Daoist immortals and a popular Chinese god of wealth, often seen with the three-legged toad and a string of Chinese coins. The mythical three-legged toad known in the present day as Jinchan, meaning “Money Toad” was derived from the toadfish species which are not native to China, but with their toad-like appearance like the traditional Jinchan, with its attendant tail fin resembles the curious third leg as seen in the present lot. See a related jade carving of ‘Liu Hai and Toad’ group, 18th century, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 3rd June 2015, lot 3433.

劉海蟾，名操，字宗成，又字昭元、昭遠，道號海蟾子，道教祖師，三教合流人物，傳說為五代十國時期廣陽人，因郡望而被稱為廣陽先生、廣陽劉真人。民間則因「劉海戲金蟾」之傳說稱其為劉海。 俗有「劉海戲金蟾，一步一吐錢」之說，劉海蟾得道後，為解救金蟾，以一串金錢釣三足蟾出海，是為「劉海戲金蟾」，金蟾走一步，能吐一枚銅錢。劉海蟾走到哪便把錢撒到哪，以周濟窮人，因此劉海蟾也被視為財神。參看一例清十八世紀玉雕劉海戲蟾擺件，售於香港佳士得2015年6月3日，編號3433。