Ancestral

Ancestral means “pertaining to ancestors; descending or claimed from ancestors”. In cultural terms it refers to objects and traditions relating to honoring and worshiping ancestors and their spirits through ceremonies or rituals, revering ancestor images, presenting offerings to please the deceased and attract their favor and protection and placing items in their burial site to please the departed and provide comfort in their afterlife. In China ancestor carvings or ancestral tablets – also known as spirit or memorial tablets – representing the spirit of the deceased or the seat of a deity were placed on home shrines or altars along with Buddhist, Taoist or Popular Religion images.

Showing 13–19 of 19 results

  • Antique Sawankhalok Lidded Bowl, Fruit Stem Handle, Thailand (3170BLE) $385

    $385.00
    Ht. 3.375”  Dia 4.625″ | FREE SHIPPING!

    This charm of this 14/15th century stoneware Sawankhalok lidded jar is its elegant mangosteen shape, the use of alternating vibrant cream and brown glazes and stylized incised floral and geometric designs. The lid has a curved stem handle and a round raised calyx, a circle of radiating leaf-like projections that protects a developing flower and represents a mangosteen, the delicious sweet tropical fruit loved throughout Southeast Asia. Concentric raised circles surround the calyx and the body is decorated with a band of incised vegetal scrolls.

  • Antique/Vintage Carved House Deity, China (7507QOK) $295

    $295.00
    H: 12.7”  W: 3.375”  D: 3”| FREE SHIPPING!

    Images like this were commissioned by families to honor departed ancestors, and this family seems to have requested an amplified tribute by posing him with characteristics of Guandi, the god of war, or maybe it is Guandi very liberally depicted by a provincial artist. He sits on a high backless chair, hands on knees, one holding a small tael and the other poised to hold a sword, wearing military maille at the chest and knees, also used in depictions of Guandi. The calligraphy on the base is the name Wu (last) Fa Tian (first), the ancestor to whom the statue was dedicated.

  • Antique/Vintage Taoist Priest with Elixir of Life, China (7506PHE) $215

    $215.00
    H: 6″  W: 10″  D: 14″  | FREE UPS Shipping

    This somber and serene Taoist priest holds two auspicious symbols: a cup with the Elixir of Longevity and a tael which is a wish for wealth and good fortune.  He sits on a high pedestal with five painted characters the first two refer to the mythical “turtle spirit” that symbolize longevity and the end ones the name of the individual and/or family that commissioned this piece.  Taoist priests were responsible for protecting people against evil spirits in this life while Buddhist monks were responsible for looking after souls in the next life.

     

     

  • Han Dynasty Cocoon Jar with Cloud Designs, China (16015UHEM) $2100

    $2,100.00
    H: 11.75”  W: 12.25”  D: 7.5” | FOR SHIPPING INFORMATION CONTACT US AT 213-568-3030

    Cocoon jars were mingqi made for placement in tombs to comfort the deceased on their journey to and in their afterlife. An elixir of Immortality made from mulberry leaves or their ashes was placed inside for the deceased to drink and transmigrate into the world of the beyond. Ovoid in shape to resemble a silkworm cocoon, ajar rests on a small trumpet-shaped foot and has a narrow neck and a wide lip at its mouth. Painted after firing with vertical bands dividing it into panels, swirling cloud scrolls, and circular “eye” motifs at each end, this beautiful vessel is in excellent condition for its age with expected paint losses, scrapes, and dirt adhesions.

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  • Song Dynasty Tile of a Foreigner, China (1516A-BOK) $475

    $475.00
    H: 6.875”  W: 5.25”  D: 2.25 | FREE SHIPPING

    This fascinating thick Song pottery brick is a low-fired depiction of a  dwarf foreigner with a rotund belly, a large head and nose, an open mouth and abnormal features. The Chinese believed dwarfs could ward off evil spirits and sickness, attract peace and blessings (fu) and were very wise. Images of dwarfs became so popular, some were produced in numbers.

     

     

     

  • Song Dynasty Tile of a Mythical Winged Pixiu, China (4019LKE) $485

    $485.00
    H: 6.25”  W: 10.125”  D: 2.5” | FREE SHIPPING

    This Song dynasty pottery brick tile depicts a pixiu, a mythical and a powerful feng shui symbol of wealth that brings money and good fortune and protect people from losing wealth. This fantastic winged creature has a dragon’s tail and head and a lion’s with an intensely angry expression to protect its master and his wealth and possessions. There is a rare handprint of the artisan who created it on the rear.

  • Song Dynasty Tile of Wéiqí Board Game Players, China (3346BKE) $485

    $485.00
    H: 11”  W: 9.5”  D: 2” | FREE SHIPPING

    As part of the The Song dynasty cultural expansion, government and public buildings and tombs were built with interior walls decorated with earthenware unglazed mold-made brick tiles.  This fanciful vibrant tile with a scalloped frame  portrays two people wéiqí which originated in China over 2500 years ago and is the world’s oldest ( and most complex) board game still played.

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