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This set of 19th-century statues, purchased by Lurline Roth, depicts opera performers dressed as the two gods from Chinese mythology. Long ago, the world was suffering from drought and famine because there were ten blazing suns in the sky. Chang’e, the moon goddess, and her archer consort, Houyi, came to the rescue. With his tiger bone bow and dragon tendon arrows, Houyi shot down nine of the ten suns and ordered the last to rise and set on a strict schedule.Label
Long ago, the world was suffering from drought and famine – there were ten blinding suns burning up the sky. Chang’e, the moon goddess, and her consort, Houyi the archer, came to the rescue. With his tiger bone bow and dragon tendon arrows, Houyi shot down nine of the ten suns and ordered the last to rise and set on a strict schedule. As a reward, Houyi was given an elixir of immortality; however, before he could, Chang’e drank it. She floated up to the moon to run away, but is visited by Houyi on every full moon. Other versions of this legend say that Chang’e became the moon instead.
This set of 19th-century statues, purchased by Lurline Matson Roth, depicts opera performers dressed as the two gods from Chinese mythology. A smaller but nearly identical pair was given by Lurline to her daughter, Berenice Roth Spalding, and was displayed in the entrance hall of her home.
