Wicks of bamboo pith for burning oil in ceremonies
Donor:
Richard T. Chun
Collection place:
Guangdong province, Southern China
Culture or time period:
Chinese
Materials:
Bamboo pith
Object type:
ethnography
Function:
5.3 Objects relating to the Secular and Quasi-religious Rites, Pageants, and Drama
Accession date:
1944
Context of use:
Wicks. (5 pieces). These wicks are used in the home to burn oil to the ancestors on the 1st and 15th of each moon. The oil is placed in a small dish especially made for the purpose, and two of these wicks inserted into the oil. Enough oil is used to produce a flame for about twelve minutes. These wicks are also used in the temple, where a special device is provided. This device makes it possible to double set of two wicks upon itself, making four ends exposed as burning-surfaces, instead of the two which are exposed in the dish used in the home. In this device used in temple worship, a container is filled nearly full with water, the the oil is on the top of that. Finally the wicks are saturated with oil, bent upon themselves, instead and lighted. Enough oil is here used to burn for an hour, or perhaps for two. In the temple, this burning is to a God, not to the ancestors. A similar device may be used in the home for burning to the God, but not to the ancestors. The materials from which these wicks are made is bamboo pith.