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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This Kitchen God and his wife are mirror-images, originally placed above the stove to monitor and bring good luck to the household. Finely carved, they wearing simplified officials robes and symbolically hold a tablet. Their bright colors have faded naturally into a smooth warm patina which adds comfort and positive feng sui to any kitchen decor and are unique wedding gifts.
This pair is VA’s most unique and finely crafted Kitchen God couple. Wearing beautifully carved robes, clasping Hu tablets, they have approachable features and subtly smiling lips. The painted character on the base is a wish for “happiness.” These exceptional consecrated pieces are in excellent condition with a fine patina.
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. Near mirror images of each other they wear layered gold officials’ robes with decorative sashes and symbolically hold a hu tablet. They are in excellent condition with most of the original pigmentation and gilt and make unique wedding gifts..
This rare house god image from South China is Wen Chang, the Taoist God of Literature and many realms associated with higher intellect, and education. He is a tall, extremely thin, surly, demon like image with ribs showing and facial distortions standing firmly on a dragon’s head among waves holding his belt. Chinese turned to him for wealth, health, long life, and good fortune. Unlike ancestor figures, this carving was probably displayed independently in a prominent place in the office of a Chinese official or scholar. Increasingly difficult to find, this piece would enhance any desk, library, study, or other location. It is in excellent condition with a warm patina, full of finely modeled details with a few surface scratches and paint losses consistent with its age.
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This merry pair of Tudi Gong, the Earth God with his wife Tudi Po are portrayed as very endearing, jolly and approachable deities who probably were placed on a home shrine in a rural agrarian area. They are dressed as lower status civilian officials in elaborate but earthy robes in vibrant hues – he with a mandarin square of a bird and she with a stylized phoenix on her hat and sit in officials poses on backless chairs with a decorative pedestals. Just being in their presence makes you want to smile and share their happiness.
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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