Taoist Stele of Five Deities, 722, 21 1/4 x 16 3/16 x 6 7/16 in. (53.98 x 41.12 x 16.35 cm) (including attached mount), Black limestone, China, 8th century, As religious Daoism evolved during the Six Dynasties and Tang period (c. 4th-8th centuries), a sculptural tradition developed that was closely modeled after contemporary Buddhist prototypes. This rare, dated, stele is carved in the middle with the Supreme Elder Deity seated in dhyanasana on a raised lotus pedestal with two apsaras overhead in a pose similar to a Buddha. Flanking the central image are four further deities, probably Celestial Worthies, holding kui tablets, or zodiac gods standing on smaller lotus pedestals.