Chinese house gods sacred beings who are believed to protect and bring blessings of “fu” into the home setting. They were placed on family altars or shrines after being consecrated by a monk or priest in an eye-opening ceremony. Over 200 gods and goddesses were worshiped not including hundreds of local deities for each town, village and city. It is difficult to identify individual Chinese house deities since China’s four religious traditions, Taoism, Buddhism, Confucianism and Popular Religion, have blended so thoroughly it is difficult to extract one religion and its artistic traditions from the other. According to Fowler, “each of these has its own particular characteristics, the cross-fertilization of beliefs and practices between all four has been prolific, resulting, almost, in a fifth genre—Chinese religion. Thus, it is often difficult to extract Taoist from Confucian, Buddhist and popular beliefs and practices let alone identify particular deities. Common house gods include the Earth God, the Kitchen God, and a wide range of wealth gods. Although the Communist party outlawed these gods as “suspicion” when it took over the Chinese government in 1949, they continue to be worshiped privately in homes in China and world wide.
Sources:
Jonathan Chamberlain, Chinese Gods, Selangor, Pelanduk Publications, Malaysia, 1997
Jeaneane D. Fowler, An Introduction to the Philosophy and Religion of Taoism: Pathways to Immortality, London, Sussex Academic Press, 2004
Jeaneane D. Fowler and Merv Fowler, Chinese Religions: Beliefs and Practices, London, Sussex Academic Press, 2007
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VA’s most unique and finely crafted Kitchen God couple. Beautifully carved, clasping hu tablets, approachable features, smiling lips. Painted character on base wish for “happiness.” Add positive chi, enhance feng-shui.Unique house warming/wedding gifts.
Finely carved Kitchen God and his wife, mirror images on backless chairs with multi-sided pedestals reflecting reverent and responsibility to protect the home. Naturally darkened lacquer, soft patina. Male with consecration covering, female open with contents. Unique house warming/wedding gift.
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.
Initially linked to the Big Dipper in Chinese mythology, Wen Chang is worshipped in the 3rd and 8th months as the God of several spheres: Literature, Books and Writing, Education, Learning and Examinations and is the patron saint of scholars. As one of the revered Taoist-deities, hero and one of the house-gods closely associated with…
These carvings of the Taoist-Deities Tudi Gong and his wife Tudi Po are from rural Southern China where they were frequently depicted together as house-gods on a home altar or local temple for farmers to pray to for abundant harvests and success in selling their products. Although Tudi Gong is a low ranking deity, he…
This Kitchen God and his Wife is posed as streamlined 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 and the male face has a more deeply carved surface and painted highlights.
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