129 Eikón Imago 11 2022: 129-144 From the Altar to the Household. The Challenging Popularization of Christian Devotional Images, Objects, and Symbols in 16 th and 17 th Century China 1 Antonio De Caro 2 Recibido: 1 de julio de 2021 / Aceptado: 12 de enero de 2022 / Publicado: 1 de marzo de 2022 Abstract. After the expeditions of wealthy merchants and Franciscan missionaries during the 14 th century, the Chinese empire under Ming rule did not engage profusely with the European world, and vice versa. This period of artistic and intellectual silence and detachment was broken in the late 16 th century when the Jesuit missionaries reconnected two worlds –Europe and China– reactivating previous medieval commercial, artistic, and intellectual routes. Silk –the product par excellence commercialized along the routes connecting China and Europe– was then accompanied by other precious products, including Chinese ceramics reaching various European courts and European paintings that reached the Ming court in Beijing. This paper addresses the complex and challenging popularization of Roman Catholicism through objects and images during the early modern era. In particular, it focuses on the diffusion of devotional images and objects used by Roman Catholic missionaries and the religious practices related to them. Keywords: Christianity in China; Devotional Images; Jesuit Missions; Matteo Ricci; Chinese Christianity. [es] Del altar al hogar. La difícil popularización de las imágenes, los objetos y los símbolos devocionales cristianos en la China de los siglos XVI y XVII Resumen. Después de los viajes de ricos mercaderes y misioneros franciscanos durante el siglo XIV, el imperio chino bajo el dominio Ming no se relacionó directamente con el mundo europeo, y viceversa. Este periodo artístico e intelectual de silencio y desapego se rompió a fnales del siglo XVI, cuando los misioneros jesuitas volvieron a ligar dos mundos –Europa y China– que retomaron las anteriores rutas comerciales, artísticas e intelectuales medievales. La seda –el producto por excelencia que se comercializaba a lo largo de las rutas que conectaban China y Europa– se acompañó entonces de otros productos preciosos, como la cerámica china que llegó a varias cortes europeas. Mismamente, las pinturas europeas llegaron a la corte Ming de Pekín. Este artículo afronta la compleja y desafante popularización del catolicismo romano durante la primera época moderna a través también de objetos e imágenes. En particular, se centra en la difusión de imágenes y objetos devocionales que utilizaron los misioneros católicos romanos y las prácticas religiosas relacionadas con ellos y con cristianos chinos también. Palabras clave: Cristianismo en China; Imágenes devocionales; Misiones jesuitas; Matteo Ricci; Cristianismo chino. Summary. 1. Introduction. 2. The complex popularization of devotional images and Christian symbols from the late 16 th century. 3. Using images to save the soul: the popularization of the cross and the use of apotropaic images. 4. Casting away demons: from the destruction of idols to exorcisms. 5. Conclusions: elusive Christian popular culture. 6. Written sources and bibliographical references. How to cite: De Caro, A. “From the Altar to the Household. The Challenging Popularization of Christian Devotional Imag- es, Objects, and Symbols in 16 th and 17 th Century China”. In Pre-Modern “Pop Cultures”? Images and Objects Around the Mediterranean (350-1918 CE), edited by Ivan Foletti, Adrien Palladino and Zuzana Frantová. Monographic Issue, Eikón Imago 11 (2022), 129-144. 1 I am extremely grateful to all the members of the Centre for Early Medieval Studies, Department of Art History at Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic, for their inspiration and support. I am also extremely grateful to Dr. Isabel A. Murta Pina from the Centro Científco e Cultural de Macau, Lisbon, Portugal. This article is a result of the grant research project No. 2020/37 / N / HS1 / 03273, “Adaptation of the Christian Beliefs of God and Soul in Chinese Thought: Rethinking the Legacy of Early Catholic Missionaries and Converts during 17 th -18 th Centuries”, fnanced by the National Science Center, Poland (Praca powstała w wyniku realizacji projektu badawczego o nr 2020/37/N/HS1/03273 fnansowanego ze środków Narodowego Centrum Nauki). 2 Centre for Early Medieval Studies, Brno E-mail: antoniodecaro@mail.muni.cz ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7263-1707 MONOGRÁFICO Eikón Imago ISSN-e: 2254-8718 https://dx.doi.org/10.5209/eiko.77135