Archives for posts with tag: jade emperor

Wood Block Print – Kitchen God

02/12/2015 //
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File-3---C11---3016-2-灶君府W340xH530mm, China

Today the 24th day of lunar December is the day to thank your Kitchen God.

It is believed that the Kitchen God has spend a year blessing our food and our cooking (which one must be thankful for!), apart from this he has been monitoring our virtue and evil deeds and will depart in the morning to report to the Jade Emperor.  To thank him for his hard work and to avoid any slip up with his report, special food has to be offered for this occasion.

  • A bowl of water and a bowl of rice – to signify that the Kitchen God to be pure and impartial.
  • Sugarcane – the node of the sugar cane forms the ladder for the Kitchen God to reach the sky.
  • Rice cake – to make his mouth sticky so no bad things would leak out
  • Satsumas, tangerines and red Sugar – to sweeten his mouth
  • Paper Horse, black robe and boots – costume and transport for his journey to the Jade Emperor
  • Cheat Sheet – a yellow piece of paper with words chosen by the family

Now I wonder what happened to the bowl of rice and water …

Click here to see our other Kitchen God prints.

Come to see the actual print and many others at the
New Year Print Exhibition

MOUNTAIN FOLKCRAFT
CHINESE WOOD BLOCK PRINT COLLECTION

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Wood Block Print – Vechical Gods

03/19/2014 //
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wood block printW220xL300mm, China

A Taoist wood block print entitled “Heaven Earth Dragon Carriage”.

On the left of the print is Yuan Shi Tian Zun, the supreme Taoist deity, together with Tai Shang Lao Jun and Ling Boa Tian Zun formed the 3 Pure Ones.  On the right of the print is the Jade Emperor, the God who creates the system of nature and the universe.  Jade Emperor sits inside his dragon carriage and around them the 4 guards; Wang Ling Tian Jun, Pu Hua Tian Jun, General Li, Marshal Zhao.  This new year print is used to bless of journey in vehicles, it is also used on the wedding day after the bride was picked up by the groom’s car, the couple would need to thank the gods for providing a safe journey.

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The Return of the Kitchen God

01/26/2012 //
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W500xH900mm, China

Previously we talked about preparing the Kitchen God for his report to the Jade Emperor, traditionally today (4th day of Chinese New Year) is the day to welcome him back to the household.  (see Kitchen God Wood Block Print-12/04/2011)  The feast would be the same as that is served for welcoming a guest that has travelled from afar.  Everyone in the household has to be present so he can keep his censors for the new year correctly.

This wood block print was from the 26th year of the Republic of China, i.e. 1938.  Every year a there will be a new calendar for the Kitchen God.  The two gods in the middle are the  Kitchen God and his wife, on the upper row is the god of fertility, the 4 gods on either sides are 3 categories of saints (upper, middle and ground), the lower 4 are the junior money gods and the money bringing kid and the pair of door gods.  For this particular kitchen god, his schedule is tighter then the one traditionally practice, he departs for the Jade Emperor on the 23rd eve and returns on the 5th hour of the New Years day.

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