Figure of Zhang Guolao

Figure of Zhang Guolao, with his 'fish drum' in his left hand; black beard and cap; aubergine robe with cloud designs in green and yellow. Hexagonal plinths with lozenge and ju-i designs in green on a yellow ground, and black bamboo patterns at the back. Zhang Guolao, an elderly magician famous for his mule which can travel great distances without rest, is the sixth immortal on the embroidered screen. After a journey, this immortal simply folds up the mule and places it in his pocket, as if it were no more than a slip of paper. He is the patron of happy marriages and numerous offspring, two goals which need the help of magic.