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GLOSSARY

Fu, Lu, Shou - Star goods of good fortune

Translated as the wish for Happiness (Fu), Good/stable income (Lu) and a long life (Shou) this is a common theme in decorative art especially during the Qing Dynasty.

Fu Lu Shou (simplified Chinese: 福 禄 寿 is the concept of Good Fortune (Fu), Prosperity (Lu), and Longevity (Shou). This Taoist concept is thought to date back to the Ming Dynasty, when the Fu Star, Lu Star and Shou Star were considered to be personified deities of these attributes respectively. The term is commonly used in Chinese culture to denote the three attributes of a good life. Statues of these three gods are found in nearly every Chinese home and many Chinese-owned shops on small altars with a glass of water, an orange or other auspicious offerings, especially during Chinese New Year.

Embodied as figures it occurs as the three Daoist (Taoist) Star Gods Fu-xing happy - Fu - while carrying a boy since he lived long enough to see his grandchild; Lu-xing accompanied by a deer, with a good/stable income - Lu - the word sounding the same as the word for "deer", and Shou-xing the Good of Longevity - Shou - often as a bald old man, often with a peach in hand or surrounded by lingzhi funguses. The decoration can also occur reduced to its attributes i.e. pine tree, lingzhi fungus, deer or/and a bat.

When placed in order, the figures are usually seen from right to left, with Fu on the right, Lu in the middle, and Shou on the left.

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