A tutelary deity is a god or goddess who is a guardian or protector of a specific place, geographic site, lineage, occupation or a home and its inhabitants. Main Chinese Tutelary Deities are Tudi Gong (the local Earth Deity), Cheng Huang Gong (City God of individual cities) and Matsu (Protectress of the Seas).As guardians of individual homes and families, the Kitchen God and his wife fit into this category.
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Finely carved from dense wood Mazu is the Heavenly Empress on a horseshoe chair, holding official’s girdle, phoenix hat with outstretched wings and cloud collar symbolizing her place in heaven.
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.
This antique Nuo Opera mask is Tudi Gong, benevolent Earth god with smiling animated face, long eyebrows, hemp beard and high decorative hat. With an honest gentle disposition, he symbolizing the power of good to defeat evil. Nuo popular in Ming/ Qing dynasties, there are few remaining troupes.
This antique stone Tudi Gong statue was finely crafted by a local provincial artisan and reflects many traditional characteristics of this beloved lower status deity: a benevolent face, voluminous rotund belly, slouched shoulders, and holding taels to bestow wealth and fortune and maybe assurances to rural common folk. In his past he rested happily on an outdoor shrine, and would be very happy to continue doing so in a home garden to bring prosperity and an aura of past times to a new family.
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…
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