A PARCEL GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF A DAOIST DEITYCHINA, MING DYNASTY, 17TH CENTURY

This goddess, known as the Sovereign of the Clouds of Dawn but also as the Lady of Mount Tai, developed relatively late in Chinese history, coming to prominence only in the early Ming dynasty. Almost immediately, she became one of the most popular deities of northern China. She is closely connected with Mount Tai in Shandong province, the easternmost of the Five Sacred Peaks, and her main temple is located on that mountain. Worshiped by at least the third century B.C., Mount Tai was traditionally seen as the gateway to the afterlife. The god of Mount Tai was traditionally male, a figure of considerable severity who controlled the paths of the dead. The Sovereign of the Clouds of Dawn was believed to be his daughter. Unlike her father, she is a compassionate figure associated with life, especially childbirth. She is the yielding yin counterpart to her father's yang sternness.