Antique/Vintage Kitchen God and Wife, China(16850)

Description

The Kitchen God is a Taoist, Popular Religion and Buddhist deity who protects the home and its inhabitants and observes family behavior and morality. On Chinese he ascends to the heavens to report on them to the Jade Emperor. A favorable report brings the Jade Emperor’s, blessings bring good fortune and continued life, a poor report results in misfortune to the family. He and his wife have distinct poses, dress, attributes and red coloring that symbolize bringing fu into the home. These carvings are unique house warming and wedding gifts.as they radiate warmth and protect when placed in the central part of the house above or near the kitchen stove. Recent years have seen an interest in old Kitchen Gods, but they are difficult to find, especially a matched pair.
This Kitchen God and his Wife are virtual mirror-images and fashioned with a general quality relying on paint rather than deep carving for details. They sit on backless chairs on a plinth, with simplified gold officials’ robes with long color sashes, and well-carved black and gilt head gear. The wife’s face is smooth, generalized, the male’s is more deeply with painted highlights. Each has an indentation to hold a hu-tablet. These are in very good condition with most original red, black, gold, and lacquer with expected paint losses. They were repainted, a common tradition in Taoist and Buddhist images. The base has minor chips and paint and lacquer losses showing the original deep red darkened the over time. Both have closed cavities and their original bung indicating they were consecrated.

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