Underworld Money

WOODBLOCK, Chinese.

Woodblock (150 x 207 mm.), carved on both sides.

[China: late Qing].

Woodblocks are invaluable historical artifacts in East Asian history, serving as key instruments in the preservation and dissemination of knowledge. The printing process involves brushing ink onto the carved surface, pressing a sheet of paper onto it, and rubbing it with a printing pad or brush to transfer the inked negative impression. While best known for printing side-stitched codices, woodblocks were also historically used for various kinds of single-sheet ephemera that were popular not only as reading material but for their iconic or religious significance.

This unusual and fascinating Chinese woodblock, engraved on both sides, was used to print "underworld money” (Ch. mingbi 冥幣; zhiqian 紙錢) to be burned as offerings to deceased ancestors, during funerals as well as significant occasions throughout the year, so that their souls will not be impoverished in the afterlife. Our woodblock shows substantial wear, and some characters have become difficult to read. On the recto, we can nevertheless make out the phrase 冥用?財, or “wealth for use in the underworld.” On the verso, we find the header 往生神咒, “sacred mantra of deliverance,” as well as the Pure Land Rebirth Dhāraṇī transliterated in Chinese characters. It is clear that the underworld money printed with this woodblock was meant to not only provide monetary benefits for one’s ancestors but also ensure their rebirth in the Sukhāvatī Pure Land.

Price: $1,250.00

Item ID: 11606