The painting that was made during the Qing dynasty in china, locates its transmission to a Private Collection in Japan.
In the 18th century, Min Zhen, one of the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou, created a remarkable hanging scroll called Toad Wizard.
He utilized ink and light colors to create the painting, demonstrating his proficiency in expressive inking techniques. Liu Hai, the Daoist deity, is depicted with a wide smile, messy hair, and flowing robes, while holding relics of fame and fortune. The three-legged toad is renowned for its traditional Chinese symbolism in folklore. A simple background and strong brush strokes highlight the figure's lively nature.. Taking cues from Daoist myth, the piece illustrates themes of wealth accumulation, contentment with one's world, and spiritual expansion. While Yangzhou artists were more concerned with expressing emotions and feelings than just replicating real life, the painting honors freedom of expression. This piece was created during this time period. Despite the toad's symbolic representation of wealth, Liu Hai' smile indicates that genuine happiness is not achieved through financial gain but rather through inner tranquility and soul contentment.
The above painting depicts a Taoist or (Daoist) mytholgical deity, Liu Haichan, known as the God of Wealth and one of the eight immortals. The Taoism tradition was an indigenous Chinese religious way, which believed in the harmony with Tao/Dao (The Way). Liu Hiachan was a spiritual enlightened and master of internal alchemy figure in Taoism. The deity is often depicted as a joyful figure with a string of coins and a three legged toad as visible in the painting. To refer to this deity as 'wizard' is a Westernized idea, developed when European art collectors came across the folk figures of Taoism and learned that these deities could command animals, fly on clouds, hence referred to them as magician, or sorcerer.
