Antique Carved Standing Ancestor Official, China (18017ESK) $425

Description

Ancestor-figures portrayed as Chinese officials were placed on a home altar with other house gods and Buddhist or Popular Religion images to bring “fu” to the household. During the Qing dynasty, designation as an official was so significant families sought to emphasize this achievement in their family ancestral figures. They normally have serious expressions and wear colorful officials-attire, often red symbolizing fu and the Five Blessings or Happinesses. Ancestor-worship was a cornerstone of Confucianism, Taoism and Popular Religion and an ancestor figure was the highest form of filial piety. Headwear played an important practical and symbolic function in dynastic China indicating the high status of civil officials. Chinese headwear has such a long history and variety of styles, shapes, colors and accompanying ornaments, some academics call China “the Kingdom of Headwear.”  Cylindrical hats with a low front and higher back like this were commonly worn by military persons, and a variant called jieze were also used by civil servants and commoners. The front of this hat on this antique-Chinese-wood-carving has a scalloped decorative design.  The piece is in very good condition with much of its original pigmentation and lacquer finish and minor cracks and lacquer losses.