This is a printed ancestral image, of the same type as cat. 2-6, which was called by a variety of names in different regions but was most commonly known as jiatang hua 家堂畫 or jiatang zhou 家堂軸 (lit., the scroll or picture of a “family hall”). Unlike the print from cat. 2-6, which has only ink outlines, this image is finished with printed colours. However, the piece was probably never used, as it is neither mounted as a scroll, nor is the designated “tablet space” for inscribing the family’s ancestors filled with any names.
The image depicts an array of ancestral tablets worshipped in a grand altar space of the type that was usually out of reach of ordinary families. Compared to the ancestral picture of cat. 2-6, the design of this image zooms in on the altar space with the tablets and leaves out much of the mansion-like architectural framework. The viewer still gets a sense of spatiality with the depiction of curtains and lanterns framing the top, the focus of the altar table, the tiled flooring background with railings in the middle, and stairs leading to a courtyard in front. The lower part of the image is nicely framed with an evergreen tree on each side.
The spirit tablets, which are represented in their realistic shapes (for an image of an actual tablet, see fig. 3 in the introduction), are arranged in the upper part of the space. The ones in the top three rows, preserved as the seats of the most distant ancestors, have more elaborate decorations. The curtains that shelter them are depicted as embroidered brocade with lavish patterns. Below the tablet space is a nicely dressed-up table with offerings on top, which include an incense burner in the middle and a pair of flower vases and candles.
The representation of figures here, which was not uncommon in this type of print, is a mixture of family members (descendants), attendants, and popular auspicious gods (the male figures dressed elaborately). Their presence was to ensure the continuity of proper offerings to ancestors and to add extra, auspicious blessings to bring happiness and prosperity to the family line.1 All other motifs presented in the image deliver similar ideas, such as the paired cranes and deer (see the discussion in cat. 2-6) and the goat pulled by a boy (in the centre of the lower part). The goat (yang 羊) is a symbol for xiang 祥 (auspiciousness or luck). Together, they make the image look more pleasant and festive, appropriate for the New Year when such an image was usually hung and worshipped.
Judging from the colour scheme (i.e., the use of a lot of red and green) and artistic style, this print was most likely originally made in Taohuawu, Jiangsu.2 Jiatang hua was more commonly seen in northern China, as suggested by both visual and textual evidence. In the south, Jiangsu province may be one of the few places that saw the use of jiatang hua.3 However, ancestral prints from the south have rarely been seen in published collections. This piece thus stands as a precious example of an ancestral print from the south.
1 See the more detailed discussion in “Visuality of Ancestral Images Used in Worship: From Portraits to Prints,” included in this catalogue.
2 This print is one of six prints that were put together as a batch and donated by Dr. Ken Dent. The other five prints all exhibit the style of Taohuawu prints.
3 In fact, current research indicates that Jiangsu is the only province where records of using jiatang hua can be found in local gazetteers. See Sun Jing, “Lidai jisi xing minjian zu yingxiang kaocha,” 41–3.
Publication: Wen-Chien Cheng, and Yanwen Jiang. Gods in my home: Chinese ancestor portraits and popular prints (Toronto: Royal Ontario Museum, 2019), 124-125.