GOLD GILT FU(FORTUNE) AND LU(PROSPERITY) CHINESE DEITY FIGURES. 4 1/2" TALL HAND PAINTED PORCELAIN FIGURINES.
THE SANXING, "THREE STARS" ARE THE GODS OF THE THREE STARS OR CONSTELLATIONS CONSIDERED ESSENTIAL IN CHINESE ASTROLOGY. JUPITER, URSA MAJOR AND CANOPUS. FU, LU AND SHOU OR CAI, ZI AND SHOU. THEY ARE ALSO THE EMBODIMENTS OF FORTUNE (FU) PRESIDING OVER PLANET JUPITER. PROSPERITY (LU) PRESIDING OVER URSA MAJOR AND LONGEVITY (SHOU) PRESIDING OVER CANOPUS. THEY HAVE EMERGED FROM CHINESE FOLK RELIGION. THEIR ICONIC REPRESENTATION AS THREE, OLD, BEARDED, WISE MEN DATES BACK TO THE MING DYNASTY, WHEN THE GODS OF THE THREE STARS WERE REPRESENTED IN HUMAN FORM FOR THE FIRST TIME. THEY ARE SOMETIMES IDENTIFIED WITH OTHER DEITIES OF THE CHINESE RELIGION OR OF TAOISM.