Bronze figure of a Chinese immortal hermit - rare throughout the world and the only one of its kind in Japan

Xianren, Figure of a Chinese Immortal Hermit, Bronze Gilt with Gold and Silver China, Later Han dynasty/1st or 2nd century Yamaguchi Collection

This figurine, with its large ears and long face, is of a Daoist hermit who has attained ageless immortality. It was manufactured in China during the Later Han period (25–220 CE). Originally, it grasped an object between its knees and held up the object with its hands. In some ways the figurine is rather comical. Only the Luoyang Museum and the Xi’an Museum in China possess similar figurines in their collections (one each), making this figurine a truly rare work of art throughout the whole world. The figurine comes from the Yamaguchi Collection amassed by Kansai businessman Kenshiro Yamaguchi (1886–1957), who served as president of Kansai Trust (the predecessor to Toyo Trust and Banking Co., now MUFG Bank Ltd. ).