Pewter Deity Figurines
Deities are common among oriental cultures, especially among the Chinese, Thais and Japanese. Chinese people who practice Taoism would also have many deities. The Hindus too, have various deities. I have a God of Longevity figurine which I put on my desk. It's not big, only about 6cm tall. I got it not because I worship it or because I'm religious. Far from it. I just thought it looks nice. Here's what it looks like:
The God of Longevity, as its name suggests, is a symbol of a long and healthy life. He is usually depicted with a long beard and brings along a faithful knotty staff and a pumpkin gourd which holds the water of life (this one doesn't have a gourd, though). He also carries a peach of immortality. The God of Longevity is usually placed inside the house at specific spots according to Feng Shui practice. This is believed to bring health and long life to the occupants. Feng Shui literally means Wind (Feng) and Water (Shui). I'm not a Feng Shui follower, so I'm afraid I'm not the expert to explain it. Again, Wikipedia is a great place to start learning about it, so here's the link below. Just be careful though, it's a pretty complex study of Chinese metaphysics. Different 'experts' may tell you different things! I will also include a list of good books about it in the future.
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