Qing Dynasty Wooden Figure of a Taoist God of Thunder Lei Gong

Qing dynasty, 19th century or earlier, China.

Magnificent, fierce and very rare wooden polychrome figure of Lei Gong, the God of Thunder and Heaven's executioner, with beak-like mouth, his right hand raised yielding a mallet (now missing) with a chisel in his left hand, and standing upon a rectangular plint. Lei Gong has a frightening appearance. His skin is a dark blue color, and he has features like a dragon, including the wings, claws, and a dragon-like face. However, in some artistic representations, he is depicted with a human face. He carries a drum and mallet to produce thunder, and a chisel to punish evildoers. Lei Gong is often depicted holding a chisel in his left hand and a mallet in his right hand, with a powerful thunder-drum (kuí gǔ) strapped around his body. The chisel is used to punish evildoers, and the mallet and drum are used to produce thunder. He rides a chariot driven by a young boy named A Xiang. The Qing dynasty (Qīng cháo), officially the Great Qing (also sometimes referred to as the Manchu dynasty) was the last imperial dynasty in China, lasting from 1644 to 1912. Wooden house gods were part of Chinese religion. There are many hundreds of gods and deities, often having a small cavity in the back sealed with a wooden bung, which would contain sacrifical materials such as a live insects (as it was thought that this would inject life into the figure), written prayers, rice grains, spices, textile fragments etc.

Good condition. Age-related heavy wear and abrasion. Mallet are missing. Considerable flaking and paint loss. Superb patina with encrusted, build-up residue and re-paint, consistent with age and use. Size approx. 26,8cm x 12,3cm x 9,8cm.  

Provenance: Swedish private collection