Gucci for Grandma's Ghost: Tracing Recent Changes in Ancestral Offering Practices in China through a Comparative Study of Tang Dynasty Grave Goods and Contemporary Paper Offerings

Providing for deceased ancestors in the afterlife through offerings is a millennia-old custom in China. In recent years have the elaborate paper effigies of worldly goods that are burned for this purpose however received heavy criticism in Chinese and international media as the inclusion of modern luxury and brand items into the repertory of paper offering goods is seen as a deviation from long-standing traditions. The comparative study conducted in this thesis puts side by side ancient burial goods, the predecessors of the current paper offerings, and contemporary paper effigies in an attempt to answer the question whether luxury and brand items in the ancestral offering context constitute as claimed a break with tradition. The study has shown that throughout history, luxury items have been a constant feature of ancestral offerings. The expensive goods are not only a sign of the wealth and status of the bereaved family members in the hereafter, but also help the deceased to gain...Show moreProviding for deceased ancestors in the afterlife through offerings is a millennia-old custom in China. In recent years have the elaborate paper effigies of worldly goods that are burned for this purpose however received heavy criticism in Chinese and international media as the inclusion of modern luxury and brand items into the repertory of paper offering goods is seen as a deviation from long-standing traditions. The comparative study conducted in this thesis puts side by side ancient burial goods, the predecessors of the current paper offerings, and contemporary paper effigies in an attempt to answer the question whether luxury and brand items in the ancestral offering context constitute as claimed a break with tradition. The study has shown that throughout history, luxury items have been a constant feature of ancestral offerings. The expensive goods are not only a sign of the wealth and status of the bereaved family members in the hereafter, but also help the deceased to gain prestige and a high position in the social hierarchy of the afterlife. While in earlier times, the value of an offering was primarily determined by the value of the material it was made from, symbolism became the main indicator of value as offerings began to be commonly made from cheap materials like clay and nowadays paper. The replicas of contemporary luxury and brand items with their associated value are a modern take on the ancient practice of assigning value to otherwise valueless offerings through symbolic power.Show less

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Gucci for Grandma's Ghost: Tracing Recent Changes in Ancestral Offering Practices in China through a Comparative Study of Tang Dynasty Grave Goods and Contemporary Paper Offerings