Mingqi
/ˈmɪŋ.tʃiː/ (Mandarin: /miŋ˧˥ tɕʰi˥˩/)noun
Objects, often miniature models, buried in ancient Chinese tombs as provisions or equipment for the deceased in the afterlife.
Did you know?Mingqi could include entire miniature estates and servant figures, reflecting the belief that earthly status and necessities could be ritually transferred into the afterlife.
Etymological Timeline
Late Zhou period, 1st millennium BCE
Classical Chinese
明器 (míngqì)
“Ritual vessels or objects made for burial rather than ordinary worldly use”
Han dynasty, 206 BCE–220 CE
Classical Chinese
明器 (míngqì)
“Funerary furnishings, including models of buildings, animals, servants, and household goods”
Medieval Chinese
Chinese
冥器 (míngqì)
“Objects associated with the realm of the dead or the underworld; an alternative written form”
19th–20th Century
English scholarship
mingqi
“A transliteration used by archaeologists and art historians for Chinese tomb goods and funerary models”
Modern English
English
mingqi
“Ancient or traditional Chinese burial objects, especially small ceramic or terracotta models placed in tombs”