Figure of Li Tieguai, a Daoist Immortal

Figures of the Eight Daoist Immortals were popular in Europe as exotic ornaments and novelties, which allowed the Chinese to sell them to both eastern and western markets without alteration into the 19th century. The western term for these delicately modeled, undecorated figures is [i]blanc-de-chine[i], a reference to their white or greyish glaze.