Ancestor Shrine

A Chinese tablet is made of wood or stone with a pedestal support and is decorated with painting or carving. Its center is inscribed vertically with the names of ancestors or deities, and represents their spirits. Ancestor tablets appear in many Chinese homes. The tablet on the left is set in a home, where the elders of the family sit on either side of the ancestor tablet. The print on the right depicts a tablet erected in a pavilion, a type of building that can be found in many temples and tombs. Its inscription indicates that it represents the Chinese pantheon—all the spirits in the universe.