Antique Carved Kitchen God and His Wife, China (16840)

Description

While most families have had prints or paper-cuts of the Kitchen God (Zao Shen) with or without his wife above their stove, carved images were owned by wealthier families. The Kitchen God is syncretic as a Taoist, Popular Religion and Buddhist tutelary deity, protector of the home  who was responsible for making sure there was always food for the family, but he also observed and noted the behavior and morality of the people in household on the hu tablets they held. On Chinese New Year Zao Shen ascends to the heavens (his wife stays home) to report to the Jade Emperor where a favorable report brings blessings, good fortune and continued life, and a poor one brings misfortune or possible death to family members.

This pair of the Kitchen God and his wife indicated by their poses, dress, attributes and red coloring bringing blessings of happiness, luck, good fortune, and long life (fu) into the home. It is the most unique and finely crafted of the “good fortune couple” we have collected. Each sits on backless chairs atop a pedestal, wears beautifully carved flowing officials’ robes held by simple defined belt and long double layered sashes without designs. Both have clasped hands at their chests covered in ritual cloth, a Taoist pose, grasping small vertical hu tablets rarely depicted in other small images. Both faces are represented with requisite reverence and solemnity for deities who hold the future of multiple generations in their hand, but they are soft approachable features with subtly smiling lips.

While most families had prints or papercuts of the Kitchen God with or without his wife, having carvings of them makes it likely they were owned by a financially comfortable family. The rear of both pieces are carved so they are easily transportable and can be picked up and held using only two fingers. Some temples lent pieces to devotees in their time of need, this benefit is still practiced today and we suspect this is why the rear of these pieces is carved.

The original red and gilt still shines through the lacquer coating but, as common with Chinese lacquer, have darkened naturally over time and even more rapidly on an altar exposed to candle and incense smoke regularly burned to honor them. Also not found in other images, the bases of both contain painted calligraphy of the world “happiness.”

The cavity on the god’s back has retained its original flat cover (bung) while it is missing on the wife’s exposing the paper script placed there by a monk during an eye-opening ceremony and customarily includes the date, place, family members and the wish for the figures to protect the family and bestow the three abundances of blessing, love, life and offspring.

House God carvings are a wonderful addition to any home, as they radiate warmth and are in their original element as important and warm historical protectors when they are placed in the central part of the house above or near the kitchen stove. In recent years there has been much renewed interest in antique carved Kitchen Gods, but they are now nearly impossible to find, especially as a matched pair. They make unique and wonderful gifts for weddings, house warmings or just to add positive “chi” to any household.

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