A LATE QING DYNASTY BLANC DE CHINE HEHE ERXIAN GROUP 37 cm high The laughing twins turned inwards to face one another, standing on a large lotus leaf on a base of waves, the standing twin wearing loose robes open to reveal a?ruyi-shaped necklace, the hair in two top-knots, in his right hand a large banana leaf, embracing his companion similarly dressed, holding with both hands a slightly opened basket to reveal the head of a tortoise.
Provenance: an Italian private collection. The?Hehe Erxian, or the Two Immortals of Harmony and Unity, are considered as protector of happy marriages. Their iconography is inspired by Hanshan and Shide, two famous monks and poets lived during the Tang dynasty.