Title

Sketches in China - the Consecration of a Buddhist Abbot at the Temple of Honam, 1858. Creator: Unknown.

Caption

Sketches in China - the Consecration of a Buddhist Abbot at the Temple of Honam - drawn by our special artist and correspondent, 1858. 'The Abbot in scarlet and purple, [is] kneeling and presenting offerings to the gods, whilst the four priests are handing to him the dishes in which the offerings are placed. On each side are the monks, who every now and then go down and knock their foreheads on the ground, chanting the whole time. The altar has three wooden idols, painted to represent priests in red robes, whilst wax tapers are burning as in Roman Catholic churches...The Abbot wore a kind of rosary round his neck, and went through a variety of ceremonies before several other altars in different parts of this vast temple...After the Abbot was duly consecrated he went into a kind of throne-room, and received the congratulation of all his fellow-priests...there was a private repast for his friends, of which we were invited in the kindest manner to partake: indeed I may say that I never met with more politeness anywhere. An English gentleman long resident here informed me of the ceremony, and accompanied me there, no foreigners but ourselves being present'. From "Illustrated London News", 1858.

Credit line

Photo12/Heritage Images/The Print Collector

Reference

HRM23A82_307

Model release

NA

Property release

NA

License type

Rights managed

Available size

57,1Mb (4,7Mb) / 18,9in x 11,7in / 5679 x 3512 (300dpi)

Keywords

people male interior man men ceremony offering religious arts monastery country religion Buddhist Buddhism temple candle candles China art Chinese guy monk monks clothes British traditional ceremonial color lighting robes robe dress prayer prayers deity deities gods God kneeling location century lantern lanterns Britain inside newspapers press clothing print priest priests altar concept typical APPAREL B&W canton posture effigy offerings engraved engraving Colour 19th century Indoors black & white black and white B W white and black Guangzhou abbot consecration effigies nineteenth century The Print Collector Illustrated London News ordination TGN ILN newspaper buddhists Unknown consecrated 19th-century Hoi Tong Monastery Honam Temple clothing & dress fashion & clothing