Title
Set of three joss sticks (Zhongtan Yuanshuai 中坛元帅 and two dragon joss sticks)
Year/Period
2022
Region
Singapore
Object Type
incense sticks
Material
sassafras (wood), powder, water (inorganic material), paint (coating)
Technique
sculpting, painting (coating), spray painting
Dimension
Object size: Refer to parts
Accession No.
2023-00256
Collection of
NLB Type
Cultural artefact
The centre joss stick is dedicated to Zhongtan Yuanshuai 中坛元帅 (‘Marshal of the Central Altar’), which is the Daoist title of the Chinese guardian deity Nezha. It was produced for the celebration of the deity’s birthday in the ninth lunar month. Flanking the centre joss stick is a pair of dragon joss sticks (longxiang 龙香), which is the most popular type of large joss sticks produced. The Zhongtan Yuanshuai as well as the dragon joss sticks were generic designs produced by Tay Guan Heng. The blank area in the upper section of the Zhongtan Yuanshuai joss stick allowed it to be customisable (for example with the name of a temple) by its purchaser.
