Mingqi

Mingqi, also known as “burial furniture” and “spirit objects,” translates as “items for the next world” or “spiritual utensils ” and is Chinese term for objects made specifically for burial purposes mingqi Mingqi are miniature earthenware models of items used in everyday life – that were made specifically for placement in tombs of wealthy Chinese upper class to make sure in their afterlife that they were surrounded in the enhanced environment they enjoyed in their life on earth. Chinese strict belief in life after death, filial piety, and the survival of the soul of the deceased in the afterlife resulted in funerary practices requiring families to honor the spirit of the dead and provide for the deceased soul’s comfort and happiness with abundant grave goods which would include miniature ceramic renderings of furnishing, utensils, offerings, livestock, buildings, tools, weapons, servants, animals, mystical beings, dancers and warriors and a huge variety of other everyday items. This practice existed for nearly two millennia but became too costly for most as the rich sought recognition by publicly displaying their wealth, power, social rank and filial piety for ancestors by the amount and quality of mingqi they provided. After spending fortunes to finance burials and contrary to existing laws to limit ostentatious spending and reduce families’ burden, ceramics used for burials were gradually replaced by the end of the Ming Dynasty by paper effigies and other flammable objects burned at funerals. The Song brick tiles used for funerary purposes are also considered mingqi.