A RARE AND LARGE BRONZE 'EIGHT DAOIST IMMORTALS' ARROW VASE, TOUHU Ming DynastyA RARE AND LARGE BRONZE 'EIGHT DAOIST IMMORTALS' ARROW VASE, TOUHUMing DynastyExquisitely cast with the 'Eight Daoist Immortals Crossing the Sea' around the compressed lobed body surmounted by a tall slender neck adorned with a tortoise and a crane on a leiwan ground, below Magu and Shoulao and two canted-corner square lug handles between two clambering chilong, all beneath further two lug-handles attached vertically at the mouth, all raised on a square spreading foot cast with a band of archaistic taotie masks, the base sealed with a square mirror cast with poems. 55.4cm (21 3/4in) high, 10.9kg.明 銅八仙過海投壺Provenance:The Brian Harkins Collection來源：布萊恩·哈金斯珍藏Compare with a related bronze arrow vase decorated with the Eight Immortals and other longevity figures, Ming dynasty, in the Cernuschi Museum, Paris, illustrated by M.Maucuer, Bronzes de la Chine Impériale des Song aux Qing, Paris, 2013, p.151, no.103. See also a Cizhou arrow vase, circa 1522-1566, decorated with the Eight Immortals, in the British Museum, London, illustrated by J.Harrison-Hall, Catalogue of Late Yuan and Ming Ceramics in the British Museum, London, 2001, p.437, no.14:6. The present vase is decorated with ten Daoist Immortals, a turtle and a crane, all of which symbolise longevity. The depiction of the Eight male Immortals without He Xiangu, the only female figure, is different from that of the mid and late Ming dynasty, including Zhongli Quan, Cao Guojiu, Li Tieguai, Lan Caihe, Han Xiangzi, Lu Dongbin, Zhang Guolao, and lastly Xu Xianweng (Xu Shouxin). Such combinations of Eight Immortals appeared often in the dramas of the Yuan and the early Ming dynasties, and can also be found on other works of art, such as tiles; see a set of tiles decorated with a similar combination of Eight Immortals, Jin dynasty (1115-1234), excavated in a tomb in Houma, Shanxi, illustrated by the Houma Work Station of Shanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology, 'Houma 65H4M102 Jinmu' (The Jin tomb 65H4M102 in Houma), Wenwu Jikan, 1997, vol.4, p.25. See a related discussion about the development of the Eight Immortals, H.M.Wang, ' Baxian Xingxiang De XingCheng Yu FaZhan ', Minzu Yishu, 2000, vol.3, pp.128-142. 壺圓口，方頸，口沿兩側上下分別鑄委角貫耳一對，貫耳上下起圓棱，鏨刻雷紋為地，貫耳之下前後各鑄一條螭龍攀於壁，再下兩側鑄壽老、麻姑各一，靠頸底部起弦紋一周，其下雷紋為地，前後鑄龜鶴各一，壺身四角起瓜棱，肩部起一層作柿蒂，腹部每側鑄兩位仙人組成八仙，束腰，腰部鏨刻饕餮紋，高圈足委角，與壺身整體委角連成一線，底部嵌銅鏡，陽文楷書鏡銘：「方正而明，萬里無塵，水天一色，犀照群倫」，印「湖州」「薛晉侯造」。可比較巴黎賽努奇博物馆藏一件明代銅八仙投壺，見M.Maucuer著，《Bronzes de la Chine Impérialedes Song aux Qing》，巴黎，2013年，頁151，編號103。此壺所鑄仙人達十位，又有龜鶴，皆是長壽神仙靈物。此壺所見八仙不同明代中晚期以來常見的形象，皆是男性神祇，可確認者有鍾離權、曹國舅、鐵拐李、藍采和、韓湘子、 呂洞賓、張果老，無何仙姑，剩下以為男性神祇應為金元明初流行的八仙組合中的徐神翁。山西侯馬金代墓葬出土八仙磚雕形象為鍾離權、曹國舅、鐵拐李、藍采和、韓湘子、 呂洞賓、張果老及徐神翁，見山西省考古研究所侯馬工作站撰，《侯馬 65H4M102 金墓》，載於《文物季刊》，1997年，第4期，頁25。元代馬致遠（1255-1321）雜劇《呂洞賓三醉岳陽樓》與谷子敬（活躍於元末明初）《三度城南柳》中之八仙便是這一組合。明初周憲王朱有燉（1379-1439）《誠齋雜劇》中《群仙慶壽蟠桃會》第四折毛女唱：「這個是呂洞賓手把太阿攜。這個是藍采和身穿綠道衣。這個是漢鍾離頭挽雙髽髻。這個是曹國舅拿著笊籬。這個是韓湘子將造化能移。這個是白髭髭唐張果。這個是皂羅衫鐵拐李。這個是徐神翁喜笑微微。」相關討論見王漢民撰，《八仙形象的形成與發展》，載於《民族藝術》，2000年，第3期，頁128-142。