Offerings of various kinds - food, incense, paper money, and figures - have been central to Chinese culture for millennia, and as a public, visual display of spiritual belief, they are still evident today in China and in Chinatowns around the world. Using Hong Kong as a case study, Janet Scott looks at paper offerings from every conceivable angle - how they are made, sold, and used. Her comprehensive investigation touches on virtually every aspect of Chinese popular religion as it explores the many forms of these intricate objects, their manufacture, their significance, and their importance in rituals to honor gods, care for ancestors, and contend with ghosts. Throughout For Gods, Ghosts and Ancestors, paper offerings are presented as a vibrant and living tradition expressing worshippers' respect and gratitude for the gods, as well as love and concern for departed family members. Ranging from fake paper money to paper furniture, servant dolls, cigarettes, and toiletries - all multihued and artfully constructed - paper offerings are intended to provide for the needs of those in the spirit world. Readers are introduced to the variety of paper offerings and their uses in worship, in assisting worshippers with personal difficulties, and in rituals directed to gods, ghosts, and ancestors. We learn of the manufacture and sale of paper goods, life in paper shops, the training of those who make paper offerings, and the symbolic and artistic dimensions of the objects. Finally, the book considers the survival of this traditional craft, the importance of flexibility and innovation, and the role of compassion and filial piety in the use of paper offerings.
Product Identifiers
Publisher
University of Washington Press
ISBN-13
9780295987187
eBay Product ID (ePID)
96418144
Product Key Features
Author
Janet Lee Scott
Publication Name
For Gods, Ghosts, and Ancestors: the Chinese Tradition of PAPER Offerings
Format
Paperback
Language
English
Subject
Social Sciences
Publication Year
2007
Type
Textbook
Number of Pages
336 Pages
Dimensions
Item Height
229mm
Item Width
152mm
Item Weight
526g
Additional Product Features
Title_Author
Janet Lee Scott
Country/Region of Manufacture
United States
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