Calligraphy Item Number: Edz979 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Description
Rectangular paper, orange on right side except for strip 3 cm. wide left white at top, orange area covered in gold foil flecks. Paper has three vertical lines of calligraphy in black ink, the centre line has six large Chinese characters, and the two side lines have five smaller characters each. Reverse has writing in pencil, "tablet of the ? god who establishes fortune. True (?) is virtue which can leat to greater (?) selflessness leads to heaven".
History Of Use
This paper represents the stove god within the home and is pasted over the stove with an incense pot placed before it. He watches the family during the year and reports on them in heaven when the paper is burned at the end of the year. He symbolizes the unity of the family; when a family divides, separate stoves and stove gods are set up.
Cultural Context
worship; family
Iconographic Meaning
Characters state 'tablet of the stove god who establishes fortune', 'there is virtue which can lead to greatness', and 'selflessness leads to heaven'.
Item History
- Made in Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong, China before 1976
- Collected between 1967 and 1976
- Owned by Graham E. Johnson before March 9, 1977
- Received from Graham E. Johnson (Donor) on March 9, 1977
What
- Name
- Calligraphy
- Identification Number
- Edz979
- Type of Item
- calligraphy
- Manufacturing Technique
- silkscreened, applied and drawn
- Overall
- height 35.0 cm, width 21.1 cm
Who
- Culture
- Chinese
- Previous Owner
- Graham E. Johnson
- Received from
- Graham E. Johnson (Donor)
Where
- Holding Institution
- MOA: University of British Columbia
- Made in
- Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong, China
When
- Creation Date
- before 1976
- Collection Date
- between 1967 and 1976
- Ownership Date
- before March 9, 1977
- Acquisition Date
- on March 9, 1977
Other
- Item Classes
- works on paper
- Condition
- fair
- Accession Number
- 0366/0006