Celebrated by Chinese worldwide, the New Year Festival which marks the end of winter and coming of spring, begins on the new moon from January 21 – February 20 and lasts 5 days with festivities to honor deities and ancestors, share foods and gifts, make sacrifices and offer cash to the God of Wealth, give children “Lucky Money,” drive away ghosts, celebrate the Jade Emperor’s birthday and more. People clean houses and altars to honor deities and ancestors and decorate with images to bring good fortune. Paper images of deities are burned to “send the gods to heaven” including the Kitchen God, firecrackers are lit and a lion dance performed to drive away evil spirits.
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Chinese wealth gods are ubiquitous and often appear and are venerated at home altasr, temples, and business establishments. Yang writes(p. 76) worship of wealth gods was one of the most common cult practices in China among all strata of society from the poor to the wealthy but especially by the merchant class. This resulted from…
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…
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, beloved among house-gods as protector of the home. He observes the family’s behavior and…
Finely detailed and carved from dense wood, this Kitchen God and his Wife monitor the members of the home from their perch above the stove. On Chinese New Year Zao Shen reports to the Jade Emperor in Heaven and a positive report bringsblessings and good fortune, while and unfavorable one brings misfortune. Family members often smear honey on his mouth to sweeten the report. Near mirror images they wear layered gold officials’ robes with decorative sashes and symbolically hold a hu tablet. They are in excellent condition and add positive chi and enhance feng shui. Kitchen Gods especially pairs are now rare and very collectible and make unique wedding and house gifts.
The Kitchen God (Zao Shen) was and still is among the most important Chinese house gods. Traditionally every family had its own Kitchen God with or without his wife above the stove to reflect his and its central position in the family’s life. The Kitchen God is both a syncretic and a tutelary deity embraced…
While most families have had prints or paper-cuts of the Kitchen-God with or without his wife above their stove, carved wood images with a lacquer coating tended to be owned by wealthier families. The Kitchen God is syncretic as a Taoist, Popular Religion and Buddhist tutelary deity who protects the home and its inhabitants, observes…
The Song dynasty (960–1279) is considered the most culturally brilliant era in later imperial Chinese history. A massive expansion during this dynasty produced government, public and religious buildings and tombs with walls decorated with earthenware unglazed mold-made brick tiles. Some were purely decorative and others were wishes for happiness and comfort in the deceased’s afterlife called…
During the Song dynasty, mold made unglazed earthenware brick tiles decorated the doors and walls of the government, private religious buildings as well as the doors and tomb walls of the rich used as funerary decorations (mingqi) to wish the deceased happiness and comfort in their afterlife. This thin brick presents two images. The figure…
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