In this paper the author undertakes the task of tracing the origin and development of the representation of Hariti in the Chinese tradition, using the various written records. The research begins by proposing that what is usually identified as the goddess Jiuzimu may in fact be a representation of the Mother-Teacher of Lu, while not precluding the possibility that the latter is also related to the Indian goddess Hariti. Secondly, it is suggested that a green lead glazed human-shaped lamp accompanied by nine children, unearthed in an Eastern Han tomb in Henan province, may have a connection to the representation of Hariti in Gandharan art. Finally, the article discusses an embossed design of a figure holding children, discovered on the surface of the Three Kingdom period celadon funerary jar, arguing that this image could share a common origin with the Eastern Han lamp found in Henan, and may therefore also belong to the southern artistic tradition.
