Antique Chinese lacquer altar tablet dating to the Qing Dynasty. ca. 18th - 19th century. Altar tablets, also called spirit tablets, memorial tablets, or ancestral tablets, mark the seat of a deity or ancestor. Tablets like these are used in various shrines and temples. This example may be from a Buddhist temple, and may have marked the location of the 409th luohan (or arhat), someone who has reached Nirvana. Wood covered in cloth and lacquered in red, blue, and gold. Condition: good, with minor wear where tablet meets base, some loss of lacquer. Build up of residue on inscribed surface. 16 1/8" tall by 6 3/8" wide by 3 1/4" deep. Keywords: Buddhism, Buddha, bodhisattva, ancestor, arahant, mahayana, China, Asia, Asian, antiques, decor, decoration, religion, religious, house, home, household