Old temple Ji Gong

Description

Old temple Ji Gong sculpture. Hand carved in camphor wood. Was worshipped in the temple in Taiwan for decades. He was also recognized by people as the incarnate of the Taming Dragon Arhat (one of the Eighteen Arhats). This sculpture shows his uninhibited, yet kind and happy image. It has a lot of great carving, as well as painted details on the robes and the facial expression.

A very well known god in southeast Asia. With a kind heart to help the poor and stand up to injustice. Yet also known for his wild and eccentric behavior.

Camphor wood has a long history involving sculpture carving in Taiwan. Due to the natural pest-resistant properties of camphor wood made it desirable for creating utensils and figures. Camphor trees have a long history and cultural significance in Taiwan. Nowadays, Taiwanese government has implemented stricter laws and a DNA database for protected tree species to deter illegal logging, which has its impacted the wood carving industry.

Noted: In 1976, this exploitation ceased, as the National Forest Management Act (NFMA) was enacted to counter damage to national ecosystems on forest lands. Since then, Taiwan’s efforts have focused on both preserving and harvesting/reforesting biological diversity. In 2021, the Taiwanese government established a DNA database for Taiwan cypress and cedar trees to help protect the nation’s forests and to prevent illegal poaching after a four-year collaboration between the MJIB (Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau) and the Forestry Bureau and Academia Sinica’s Biodiversity Research Center. Since 2017, they have been collecting over 600 tree samples which are classified as protected species under the Forestry Act. Almost like a fingerprint, the DNA database keeps track of these trees and gives them an identification card.
https://hir.harvard.edu/theft-in-our-forests-examining-taiwans-silent-war/

Dimensions: 8″ x 7″ x 15.5″ inches

Old piece. Sell in used, pre-owned condition. Vintage to antique items by nature have variable amounts of wear, imperfections, signs of use, age and time. Perfectly imperfect. Condition shown as in pictures. Kindly contact us if you need more info. or detail pictures.

Due to the delicate carving of the statue. Please contact us for more information/shipping options.