Zhong Kui made his first appearance in the 8th century, when the Tang Emperor Ming Huang was haunted by demons during his sleep. Then one night he dreamed of a towering behemoth capturing and eating a smaller demon. Upon awakening, the Emperor instructed the court painter Wu Daozi to paint a portrait of the Ghost Eater. This became the first image of Zhong Kui, a black faced judge of Hell with a large flaring beard, dressed in imperial robes with bat-eared hat, holding an iron fan and wielding a large sword

This soapstone statue of the Judge of Hell, Zhong Kui is holding a iron fan, with a small boy clinging to the side clenching his robe, seemingly afraid of the dark, and seeking protection from the Demon Eater. These figures are expertly carved on a bluish gray stone with haze of white specks, with design motifs showing signs of an older carving.