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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Couch Potato Wannabe, post: 2869473, member: 14066&quot;]I&#039;d love to translate the text on the bottom for you, but I can&#039;t see it clearly enough.&nbsp; Could you try a photo with better lighting to hopefully show off the text better and sharper?</p><p><br /></p><p>A bit of background on the being depicted by the statue:</p><p><br /></p><p>&quot;The star of Shou (壽), Shouxing 寿星, is α Carinae (Canopus), the star of the south pole in Chinese astronomy, and is believed to control the life spans of mortals. According to legend, he was carried in his mother&#039;s womb for ten years before being born, and was already an old man when delivered. He is recognized by his high, domed forehead and the peach which he carries as a symbol of immortality. The longevity god is usually shown smiling and friendly, and he may sometimes be carrying a gourd filled with the elixir of life. He is sometimes conflated with Laozi and corresponding gods of Taoist theology.</p><p><br /></p><p>Other symbols in Chinese iconography that represent longevity include pine trees, cranes, spotted deer, special collectors&#039; stones (shòushí 寿石), peaches, and tortoises.[5] These are often depicted in small groupings to emphasize the central, symbolic meaning of the picture (for example, cranes standing amongst pine trees).&quot;[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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