Wooden sculpture - Home god, single piece
China, Qing Dynasty, early 20th century.
Camphor wood. Size 220mm x 80mm x 50mm. Weight approx. 283g.
A very beautiful sculpture depicting a seated household god is carved from a piece of fragrant camphor wood. The original paint has been replaced later with gold paint and varnish, which have also partially peeled off. On the back of the sculpture is a cavity closed with a hatch, where a prayer written on rice paper is hidden, as well as several sacrificial gifts, such as a singing bowl (in parts), a dried seahorse, rice grains, beans, spices, a piece of mineral, etc.
Small, wooden household gods have been an integral part of Chinese religion for centuries. There are several hundred different types of household gods and other deities that can be compared to them. Sculptures kept at home are kept on decorative altars dedicated to them. On the back of the sculptures, there is often a hidden hole or cavity, closed with a hatch, hollowed out in the wood, where ritual offerings, including live insects, have traditionally been placed (their vitality is believed to bring the sculpture to life).
Note! The wooden sculpture is an old, used one-off piece. The sculpture has minor surface defects, dents and wear.
