🧧  Vintage Chinese "Death Scroll" – Hand-Painted Afterlife Ritual Art

This is an authentic vintage Chinese ritual scroll—often referred to as a "death scroll" or "hell scroll"—used in traditional funerary rites to guide the soul of the deceased through the underworld.

📜 Item Features:

• Origin: Likely mid-18th century Chinese folk religious tradition

• Medium: Hand-painted ink and pigment on traditional paper, laid on a silk background

• Style: Folk-art rendering of underworld / afterlife scenes, including judges, demons, and symbolic punishments

• Function: Used in Buddhist/Taoist mortuary rituals; believed to assist the soul’s journey through the 10 Courts of Hell

• Size: Approximately 72 x 33 in (measured from top to bottom of of silk border)

• Condition: Vintage/ritual-used condition. Some wear consistent with age (wear in paint, creases, edge fading). Brought to appraisers for authenticity.  Please review the photos carefully, as they are an important part of the description. Feel free to use the zoom feature for a closer look, and don’t hesitate to request additional photos if you have any concerns. 

🌌 Cultural Significance:

These scrolls were traditionally hung around funeral altars during ceremonies. Each scene represents moral judgment and karmic consequences, intended to help the spirit bypass the worst fates in the afterlife.

This piece reflects an important part of Chinese folk spirituality, Buddhist/Taoist fusion practices, and visual storytelling through sacred art. It is not mass-produced — each scroll was hand-rendered, often locally.

🎯 Ideal For:

📦 Shipping:

• Ships securely rolled with protective materials

• From a smoke-free home

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