Notes:
The Eight Immortals are a legendary group of Daoist figures said to have lived during the Tang or Song dynasties, and appear as a group on artwork dating back to the Jin dynasty, though evidence survives suggesting that worship of individual Daoist immortal figures was prevalent during the Han. The immortal depicted here is Lan Caihe藍采和, originally shown in female form, the patron deity of florists and gardeners. The others are Lu Dongbin呂洞賓, a scholar and poet considered the leader of the immortals; Cao Guojiu曹國舅, said to be related to a Song dynasty emperor in his mortal life, generally depicted in official robes and holding ‘paiban’ (traditional Chinese clappers), regarded as the patron deity of the performing arts; Zhang Guolao張果老, usually depicted carrying a fish drum (a tube-shaped bamboo drum with two iron striking rods); Li Tieguai李鐵拐, associated with medicine and easing the suffering of the sick, identifiable by his calabash bottle; Han Xiangzi韓湘子, a flautist; He Xiangu何仙姑, a female immortal often depicted holding a lotus; and Zhongli Quan 鍾離權, associated with death and said to be able to produce precious metals with the magic of a philosopher's stone.
