Funeral procession, with mourners dressed in white preceding the coffin, Beijing

Funeral procession, with mourners dressed in white preceding the coffin, Beijing

Collection

Ruxton Family

Identifier

Ru02-53

Notes

University of Bristol - Historical Photographs of China reference number: Ru02-53. Photo from an album (UoB reference Ru02). See also Ru02-54 and Ru02-56. No caption for this photograph in the album. Probably taken in, or near, Peking (Beijing). The man with the staff is the principal mourner. Mourning grades were codified and the senior male of the bereaved household was considered the principal mourner. He had specific duties during the lengthy mortuary process. The staff that he carries is an obligatory item of mourning attire for the first grade of mourning.

Location

Beijing

Estimated Date

1905

Material

Paper

Media

Black and white photograph

Repository

Archives & Special Collections, SOAS Library, University of London