Page 246 - Bonhams Fine Chinese Art Nov 2013 London

223 Liu Hai and his three-legged toad - both symbols of wealth and
A large and impressive bronze figure of Liuhai prosperity - are popular members of the pantheon of Chinese folk
Early 18th century deities; and there are many myths and legends surrounding them
The cheerful figure of the God of Wealth cast with striding legs partly that have come down to us.
covered by a fine flowing skirt knotted with twisted rope beneath One such legend is that Liu Hai was an alchemist and Daoist
the bare belly crossed with further knotted rope, the smiling face practitioner who passed by a village where a three-legged toad
looking downwards to the left hand held in front of the body, the right inhabited a local pond. This three-legged toad would emit a
hand raised above the head, the figure attached to a stand cast as poisonous vapour and harm the villagers; so Liu Hai tempted the
a pierced rockwork cliff overhanging a three-legged toad and a crab toad out with a chain of gold coins and made it his pet.
emerging from foaming waves.
74cm (29in) high
£20,000 - 30,000
HK$250,000 - 370,000 CNY200,000 - 290,000

十八世紀早期 銅劉海戲蟾像 Other versions of the story tell that Liu Hai was good friends with the
Provenance: a European private collection toad, and that the toad could whisk its owner to any destination. If
來源：歐洲私人收藏 the toad escaped down a well or pond, Liu Hai would tempt it back
again with gold coins.

How a toad became linked to wealth and riches could be due in part
to the nature of certain Chinese dialects. The Chinese word for ‘toad’
is chan 蟾; and in some dialects, the character chan is a homophone
to the character for ‘money’ or qian 錢. Thus, in a dialect, one could
easily hear ‘Liu Hai playing with the toad’ as ‘Liu Hai playing with
gold coins’.

There is in the collection of the British Museum a closely related
bronze figure of Liuhai dated to AD 1723 (museum ref. 1992,0612.1).
Of almost identical size but cast standing on top of his three-legged
toad, the figure shows very similar treatment in the broadly smiling
face and lively stance with slender legs placed wide apart as on
the present lot. The British Museum piece also makes explicit the
connection between Liuhai and wealth by depicting him holding a
large ancient Chinese coin.

A large bronze figure of Liuhai and the three-legged toad, dated
1723; © The Trustees of the British Museum, London

242 | Bonhams