Joss Papers

During the mid 1980s, Bongé began a series of delicate jewel-like small abstract watercolors. The intimacy of these little watercolor paintings appealed to her, and they became her preferred medium. Many of these works were on small “Joss” papers, sheets of bamboo or rice paper centered with a small square of gold and/or silver leaf, which were available at the local Asian markets.

“It became a special challenge,” she said, “to make it seem as if I had placed that little square right there.”

Joss paper, also known as “ghost” or “spirit” money, consists of small sheets of paper that are burned in traditional Chinese deity or ancestor worship ceremonies, either during special holidays or at funerals. The ritual of burning joss paper is an offering of money to one’s ancestors in the afterlife.
The actual act of burning is a means of transformation where, through the fire’s smoke, the money transcends into the spirit world. The belief behind this ritual is that our ancestors possess the ability to influence the fortune of the living. The offering serves as a kind of payment of spiritual debts.
When burning the joss paper, the sheets are treated respectfully. They are not casually tossed into the fire, but are placed carefully in a loose bundle, or, in some customs, each sheet may be folded in a specific way before being placed in the fire in an earthenware pot or a specially built chimney.
Traditional joss paper is made from sheets of coarse bamboo paper, which is cut into individual squares or rectangles each decorated with a square of gold or silver foil. The color of the paper is white, representing mourning. The square foil is gold or silver, representing wealth or money.