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Antique Yao or Mien Priest's Ritual Tablet
Yao or Mien Priest's Ritual Tablet
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 		oasty018
Mien Yao
Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Yunnan, China
Priest's ritual item, Tsi Li
Wood , gilt and lacquer
15 in. x 1.25 in. x .75 in.
Good structurally, wear on the upper left edge from use or storage and small chips along the lead edge.
$450.
This incised wooden tablet is an important ritual implement known as Tsi Li. It is referred to in English as a court tablet and is said to assist the priest during ritual by issuing his orders or invoking the gods. (See: The Yao: The Mien and Mun Yao in China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand, by Jess G. Pourett, Art Media Resources, Ltd., Chicago 2002)Large, relief-carved Chinese calligraphy fills the front of the court tablet. This calligraphy has been gilded over lacquer and stands out against a red background. The reverse of this gracefully curved esoteric item features relief carving of foliate forms.