ESCULTURA DE ÍDOLOS SAGRADOS DE MACAU / MACAO RELIGIOUS FIGURE CARVING澳門神像雕刻
The article analyses the sacred idol sculpture of Macau as intangible cultural heritage, framing its origin and evolution within Chinese popular religious practices, particularly ancestor worship. It is argued that the specificity of this art resulted from the interaction between the living conditio...
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| Published in: | Review of Culture |
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| Format: | Articles |
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Instituto Cultural de Macau
July 2009
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| Online Access: | https://www.icm.gov.mo/rc/viewer/pdfViewerParts/40031/3605 |
| Summary: | The article analyses the sacred idol sculpture of Macau as intangible cultural heritage, framing its origin and evolution within Chinese popular religious practices, particularly ancestor worship. It is argued that the specificity of this art resulted from the interaction between the living conditions of the fishing community and ritual needs: until the mid-twentieth century, the majority of fishermen had no residence on land, performing worship within the space of the vessel itself. Low literacy favoured the replacement of inscribed memorial tablets with small wooden figures that were more visible and comprehensible; these, however, were easily deteriorated by prolonged exposure to wind, rain and sunlight, necessitating constant replacement.
Methodologically, the text proceeds from a historical-cultural reconstruction supported by descriptions of the socioeconomic context (1920s–1930s) and the dynamics of the craft, including demand from local fishermen and those from neighbouring coastal regions, which drove technical advancement and specialisation. It concludes that industrialisation and the decline of fishing, from the end of the 1950s, reduced the number of family workshops, but the continuity of some artisans and adaptation to the carving of Buddha statues enabled the survival of the know-how. The article culminates by justifying the candidacy and the inscription, in 2008, on the Second List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage. |
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| ISSN: | 1682-1106 |