A PAIR OF BRONZE JOSS STICK HOLDERS OF THE HEHE ERXIAN TWINS, each cast standing on a square pedestal, the twins wearing loose robes and holding their hands in front of the chest to be able to support the joss sticks, 17/18th century, height c. 13.5 cmNOTE:The Hehe Erxian are considered by many scholars to be an iconic manifestation of the legendary eccentric monk-poet Hanshan and his friend Shide, which are said to have lived during the Tang dynasty. The representation of the two figures as the Hehe Erxian seems to have been more firmly established in the Ming dynasty, when the pair began to be depicted as two boys with joyous facial expressions. Traditionally they have come to symbolise a long, happy marriage.