In traditional Chinese and other Asian societies belief in the after-life was given physical expression in the form of votive paper offerings, paper models of objects considered to be of use to the deceased in the next life, which are burned at the family ancestral altar or at temples.

On the third or fifth day after death, it is customary within traditional Chinese society for a family to engage Taoist or Buddhist priests to carry out a variety of traditional ceremonies. After the body has been sealed in the coffin, foods are offered, candles lit and paper offerings are burnt to ease the dead person's way through to the after life. On the way to the burial ground, the coffin is accompanied by paper models of various objects including houses, clothes, jewellery and other things required for a good and comfortable after life. They are burned at the grave side. Today, models of contemporary items such as cars, mobile phones and stereos are common.

The process of burning paper offerings for ancestors is repeated at the time of the Qingming Festival to honour the dead, which falls in the second or third lunar month. At this time families will sweep the graves of ancestors and make sacrificial offerings of food, paper clothes and paper money, so that their ancestors can continue to live a prosperous after life. Many similar offerings are burned at the Feast of Hungry Ghosts, in the middle of the seventh lunar month. At this time people take care to placate wandering spirits so that they will not interfere with the affairs of the living. Another festival that involves the burning of offerings is the Seven Sisters Festival at which unmarried women make presentations of paper mirrors, combs, clothes and jewellery.

This box containing paper funerary offerings of jewellery was made in China in the early 20th century.

Funerary offerings made of paper such as these were traditionally used in China and many other Asian countries at various festivals and at funerals. The offerings were burnt to ensure that the deceased would be comfortable in the afterlife or to placate wandering spirits that might otherwise interfere with the lives of the living.

The funerary objects are from a collection of diverse Chineses objects transferred from the Asian Studies Department, University of Sydney, and possibly used as part of a teaching collection.

Funerary jewellery (41), in cardboard box, paper, maker unknown, China, 1900-1930

A small paper covered cardboard box labelled 'Paper jewellery burnt at funerals' containing:

Two bracelets made of paper.
Six 'silver' coins dated 1914 made of paper.
A watch with a white face made of paper.
Two hair pins, one with purple backing and one with loose red backing boards.
A pair of 'pearl' earrings for pierced ears on blue backing board.
A number of loose 'jewels'.

Made: Unknown; China; 1900 - 1930

2007/43/1

1900 - 1930