Fu Lu Shou – Deities for the Household
Fu Lu Shou, photo by JMorton
The statues opposite are of Fu (left), Lu (Centre) & Shou (Right)
We have a large size ceramic of these three in our dining room and they have got a story to tell.
These statues, I am happy and proud to say, look lovely and perfect but when it first arrived in London, they were in bits and pieces. LOL.
My husband said to throw them away but I spent more than £200 on plane fare for them. So with enormous amount of patience and painstaking supergluing they look fine to me now aside from some little holes at the back.
My husband was so proud of my efforts, he said he can’t hardly see the joints!
Oooppss I hope feng shui does not affect the effectivity of these household gods. 🙁
In 2006, my sister, son – James and I were browsing at a shop in Harrison Plaza in the Philippines, that sells Chinese arts and crafts. I found these three statues and liked them. My sister bought them for me immediately as it would be even better in bringing good luck if they were given as a gift. Thank you my dearest, darling sister, Marilou.
Anyway, it was bubble wrapped and I took them home to London. But at the Philippine airport, they told me that I can’t have them as hand luggage as they were heavy and bulky, but rather they had to be checked in and it cost me £214.
When I got to Heathrow, the package was missing and it took awhile to find them and I knew something was wrong as I heard clinking as I moved them. Went to Malaysian Airline desk and they said I have to put a claim against my travel insurance. I found all these so tiresome that I did not.
It has been years since I first got these statues, which are now proudly displayed on a high shelf.
Whether they brought me luck, it is hard to say, not too sure!
But let see:
Fu is generally depicted as a scholar holding a scroll. Sometimes Fu is also shown holding a child. The child symbolises transmission of good fortune to future generation. Fu, in astrological tradition refers to the planet Jupiter, which is believed to be auspicious, thus Good Fortune.
Lu is often depicted holding a ru yi, a symbol of power and authority; sometimes he is holding a golden ingot, which is a popular symbol for wealth. In astrological tradition, Lu is Ursa Majoris, or, in traditional Chinese astronomy, the sixth star in the Wenchang cluster. Lu specifically refers to imperial China’s salary of a government official which gives energy to prosperity, rank, and influence.
Shou is depicted as a wise old man with high forehead and a warm smile to his face. He is holding a staff as he is very old, which symbolises longevity or long life. On h is other hand, he is shown holding a peach which means immortality. According to his legend, his poor mother carried him on her womb for 10 long years. When he was finally born he was already an old man. 🙁 :(. The star which is attached to Shou is the Canopus which is the star of the South Pole.
…………………………………
2012 was the most horrendous year of my life. Totally annus horribilis!!! The last 10 previous years had not been brilliant either. I used to pray by June of each year that the year was over quickly and a better one started. It never did. My bad fortune culminated in 2012. I was so low that it was impossible to go even lower, except 6ft under 🙁 The only way was up.
And it is starting to go up.
Thank God, I have found “me” once again. I am beginning to find my smile and joie de vivre afterall I still have the love of my life whom I nearly lost. I am now happy again and look forward to each day.
As to the FULUSHOU
I think they did their best for me. As much as I was hurting and in despair for so many years, it was never absolute. I was able to carry on regardless.
Anyway I might not have had the full effect of the good fortune from the three household gods because I did not put them in the right order.
Instead of FuLuShou I arranged them as ShouFuLu, according to height! LOL
Now that you are in the right order, please give me the full force of good fortune, prosperity and longevity.
Thank you. 😉