''Zhong Kui the Demon Queller with Five Bats'' is a popular Chinese painting featuring the Chinese mythological spirit Zhong Kui. It originates from the Ming dynasty (1368–1644). A possible painter for this artwork is Wu Wei. The painting is held in the

Ashmolean Museum The Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology () on Beaumont Street, Oxford, England, is Britain's first public museum. Its first building was erected in 1678–1683 to house the cabinet of curiosities that Elias Ashmole gave to the University of ...

in England.

Description

The picture features Zhong Kui, accompanied by two of his

demon A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology, and folklore; as well as in media such as comics, video games, movies, ani ...

followers. The demons are holding a vase and Zhong Kui holds a

scepter A sceptre is a staff or wand held in the hand by a ruling monarch as an item of royal or imperial insignia. Figuratively, it means royal or imperial authority or sovereignty. Antiquity Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia The ''Was'' and other ...

while looking up at five bats flying in the sky. In Chinese symbolism, the five bats represent five blessings: health, longevity, virtue, wealth, and a graceful death. In the background is a forested mountain surrounded by a heavy mist. {{Authority control Bats in culture Paintings in the collection of the Ashmolean Museum Chinese paintings Mammals in art