Liu Hai Playing with the Golden Toad
Min Zhen
Qing Dynasty
- MEDIUM:Ink and color on paper
- FORMATS:Framed painting
- DIMENSIONS:Height 68 cm; Width 128 cm
Introduction
Min Zhen was renowned for his whimsical depictions of children and playful scenes. This painting illustrates the popular Daoist legend of Liu Hai, a figure later revered alongside Zhao Gongming and Guan Yu as one of the Three Wealth Deities. Liu Hai is often depicted with a three-legged “golden toad,” a magical creature believed to spit coins, symbolizing prosperity and good fortune. The composition depicts Liu Hai crouching on a rock by a pine-cliffed stream, teasing the golden toad with a coin. Their gaze meets, conveying a lively and innocent interaction. Min Zhen used a vigorous cursive brush to outline figures, with bold, dynamic strokes, while rendering Liu Hai’s facial expressions with delicate detail. The contrast between the spontaneous brushwork and precise features creates a vivid sense of playfulness.
Unlike his earlier, simpler renditions of the subject, this work is one of Min Zhen’s more refined masterpieces from his later artistic career.
