Question

Appearence vs reality in Chinese statue

Answer 1

A Joss is a Chinese term used to refer to a deity. It is used to describe a Chinese religious statue, object, or idol in many Chinese folk religions.

Uses Edit

Josses serve multiple functions in traditional Chinese religious customs, varying by the specific tradition. Although the word directly translates to “god”, the term “joss” is used to describe a physical statue that is believed to be the dwelling place of a specific deity. Josses are often decorated with golden plaques, which are given by the worshippers as a sign of reverence and respect.[1]

Josses are used as a symbolic representation of a particularly important god or goddess. They are often used as a means of divination. Depending upon the tradition, josses will be found in family homes, be communally shared and appear in temples across China and Taiwan.
Taiwanese tradition Edit
Josses belong to specific villages and are considered to be owned by the village temple. Most josses are passed throughout the homes of the village where they reside for a time. The temple altars host at least one Joss, which represents the village's main god. Josses will be placed at the center of an altar in the worshipper's home where they make offerings to them and are used to communicate to the deity.[3]

Southern China tradition Edit
Statues of deities, such as Guanyin (the goddess of mercy) and Guangong (the god of justice) are placed on altars in every new business and restaurant. Josses play an important role in ritual ceremonies. The spiritualization ceremony for new temples involves inviting the spirits into statues made of clay, and in doing so creates a joss. If the invitation ceremony is successful, the spirit lives inside the statue indefinitely.[4] Significantly more women than men visit the temples and make offerings to the josses. Different deities in the temples have their own special abilities and characteristics. Many worshippers will have josses of a particular deities that can bring about good health or good fortune at home at work.[