This set of sculptures is in the San Diego Museum of Art.
The placard accompanying this sculpture indicates that the set depicts eight Daoist Immortal and are made of ivory in China c. 1900.
The immortals were real people who lived during the Tand and Song periods of the 8th through 12th centuries.
Wikipedia discusses these figures under its article for Xian (
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"Xian ...is a Chinese word for an enlightened person, translatable in English as:
"spiritually immortal; transcendent; super-human; celestial being" (in Daoist/Taoist philosophy and cosmology)
"physically immortal; immortal person; immortalist; saint" (in Daoist religion and pantheon)
"alchemist; one who seeks the elixir of life; one who practices longevity techniques" or by extension "(alchemical, dietary, qigong) methods for attaining immortality" (in Chinese alchemy)
"wizard; magician; shaman" (in Chinese mythology)
"genie; elf, fairy; nymph" ...
"sage living high in the mountains; mountain-man; hermit; recluse" ...
"immortal (talent); accomplished person; celestial (beauty); marvelous; extraordinary" (metaphorical modifier)
Xian semantically developed from meaning spiritual "immortality; enlightenment", to physical "immortality; longevity" involving methods such as alchemy, breath meditation, and T'ai chi ch'uan, and eventually to legendary and figurative "immortality".
The xian archetype is described by Victor H. Mair.
They are immune to heat and cold, untouched by the elements, and can fly, mounting upward with a fluttering motion. They dwell apart from the chaotic world of man, subsist on air and dew, are not anxious like ordinary people, and have the smooth skin and innocent faces of children. The transcendents live an effortless existence that is best described as spontaneous. They recall the ancient Indian ascetics and holy men known as ??i who possessed similar traits.1994:376"