Before Ne Zha was a deity, he was a boy with superhuman powers and armed with heavenly weapons. This piece tells the early chapters of Ne Zha’s story, the turning point where his killing of the Dragon King’s son triggers a chain of events leading to his death and reincarnation as a deity. With his signature Wind-and-Fire Wheels (Feng Huo Lun) on the obverse, it is a fine expression of the tale of Ne Zha that is most ideal for art and cultural appreciation.
 
Ne Zha
In Chinese folk religion, Ne Zha is a protective deity who was born with superhuman powers. Ne Zha was conferred as a deity after his death, when his soul grew strong from prayers of worshippers and he eventually reincarnated into a human form made from lotus roots. Ne Zha was an extraordinary child even before birth. He was born fully grown with the ability to walk and talk, after his mother Lady Yin’s prolonged pregnancy of three years and six months. Believing that their child was unnatural in some way, his parents let immortal Taiyi Zhenren take him as his disciple, who bestowed him with the weapons of Universe Ring (Qian Kun Quan) and Red Armillary Sash (Hun Tian Ling).
 
Ne Zha Kills the Dragon King’s Son
There are many variations of this chapter in folklore, but they all share the same plot of Ne Zha killing the Dragon King’s son, Ao Bing, with his superhuman strength and power. The most common narrative explains that Ne Zha had been playing with his weapons in the Eastern Seas, disturbing the Dragon King of the East Sea who sent his son Ao Bing to subdue him. In the fight that ensued, Ne Zha defeated and killed him, leading to a series of events that led to his suicide and thereafter, reincarnation as a deity. 
 
Despite being prominently featured in diverse types of creative mediums from movies and cartoons to written literature, Ne Zha is commonly depicted as a teenage deity with a youthful and child-like appearance. His mannerisms are spirited and energetic, amplifying the strength and intensity of his weapons and powers.
 
Spirited and Energetic
On the reverse of this artefact, the scene of Ne Zha defeating the Dragon King’s son is implanted beautifully. A careful balance of fine details result in a youthful-looking Ne Zha with delicate skin, contrasted with deep lines on his clothing as well as the dragon’s scales. The dragon struggles and arches against the Red Armillary Sash tied around him, which Ne Zha grips and controls effortlessly in one hand, the Universe Ring in the other. Being the first of his weapons, the Universe Ring  is intentionally accented in gold to highlight the importance of this weapon, as well as Ne Zha’s mastery of it. The events on this face of the collectible foreshadows the appearance of the Wind-and-Fire Wheels on the obverse, where it circles around the official effigy of Queen Elizabeth II. While not existent in this part of the mythology yet, the Wind-and-Fire Wheels would eventually become Ne Zha’s most outstanding weapon; his signature in the folk tales, and thus implanted on this piece.
 
Finish
With the use of 2 oz of 999 pure silver combined with 11.5 oz of copper, this piece boasts an impressive size of 80mm for its weight. This is made possible through the use of a technique called Bi-Metal Plus which allows for an ultra high relief topped with silver antiqued finishing.  
 
This is a limited edition of 500 pieces only. Each piece is packaged and delivered with a Certificate verifying its edition number and authenticity.