Structure Type: Grandfathers’ House pantheon scrolls, set in a household shrine 家中神龕里裝爺爺家百神卷軸畫

Location: Bean Village New Hamlet, Wutai County, Shanxi 陝西省五台縣豆村新莊村.

Period: Undated. Late 19th or early 20th century based on style.

Artist: Unknown.

Mural Contents: Two scrolls are visible in the shrine room. I’m not sure of all the deities. Comparing to the newer, labeled Grandfathers’ House pantheons we saw in the same area, the figure in the left-hand scroll with the bag of babies seems to be the Tatar Spirit Official 達達靈官 and his wife, the Goddess who Brings Children 送子娘娘. Thus the scroll represents a prayer for healthy descendants. The scroll on the right that shows an elderly couple may be intended generally for the family ancestors, but I’m not certain.

Other Notes: I’ve put this up here mainly because it was the only pre-Revolution Grandfathers’ House scroll we saw, although I’m sure there are more. We were shown into this house by a friendly village man, but I now realize that I didn’t write down his name.

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