Antique Kitchen God and Wife, China (16850H)

Description

Although there are many local house gods, the Kitchen God, also known as the Stove or Hearth God (Zao Shen) has been the most ubiquitous household deity since late Ming and Qing Dynasties up to current times. The Kitchen God is a Taoist, Popular Religion and Buddhist tutelary deity, protector of the home responsible for assuring there is always food for the family. Almost all families – urban or rural family in every social status – had and still has a Kitchen God, often accompanied by his wife, who is responsible for observing the family’s behavior, protecting its wellbeing, and defending against adversity. While most families have prints or paper cuts of the Kitchen God with or without his wife, only well-to-do families had high quality woodcarving.

Each of this pair is carved from fine dense wood. They are nearly mirror images with the same high quality and highly detailed. Both sit on backless chairs on a high plinth, with similar deeply carved layered gold officials’ robes with red long decorative sashes. Their full and extremely different but well-carved faces have arched brows flanked by pendulous ears and hair pulled up and under  decorative head wear. Their raised hands are clasped together in a Taoist pose in front of their chests as if they were holding a small vertical hu tablet. These tablets were symbolically used to inscribe reports on the family’s behavior. On Chinese New Year Zao Shen ascends to the heavens (his wife stays home) to report to the Jade Emperor; a favorable report brings blessings, good fortune and continued life, a poor one brings misfortune or possible death to family members. Family members often smear honey on his mouth to sweeten the report.

The statues are in fine condition with most of the original red, black, and gold pigmentation and lacquer covering. Both have closed rear cavities indicating they were consecrated. ” Carvings of Kitchen Gods are a wonderful addition to any kitchen, since they signify and radiate the warmth of guardians of the central part of the house: the kitchen stove or hearth.

Renewed interest in antique carved fine quality Kitchen Gods have made them difficult to  find, especially as a matched pair and they are now considered highly collectible.

Click here for the Blog Consecrating Wooden Images to Imbue Them with A Life Force