Archives for the month of: February, 2015

Wood Block Print – Harmony

02/13/2015 //

W450xH680mm, China

On the top of the print is a hanging bat symbolizing the arrival of blessing. The word upside down (倒) “dao” shares the same pronunciation as the word arrived (到) “dao”, while word bat (蝠) “fu” with the word blessing (福) “fu”.

Hanging on the mouth of the bat is a Buddha’s hand fruit, a symbol of happiness and a peach which symbolizes longevity.

This rounded figure is known as “yi tuan he qi” – Harmony, which is a blessing for oneself, the family, the country to the world at large.

The figure originally comes from the painting of the same title by the Ming emperor, Zhu Jian Shen, featuring the Maitreya in a lotus meditation pose. On closer look, there are 2 scholars on either side smiling at each other with their knee touching. The Maitreya embraces the 2 scholars with his head bend, revealing his bald head. The 3, Buddhist, Taoist and Confucius are in harmony with each other.

Come to see the actual print and many others at the
New Year Print Exhibition

MOUNTAIN FOLKCRAFT
CHINESE WOOD BLOCK PRINT COLLECTION

Tags bat, buddha's hand fruit, chinese, chinese new year, happiness, harmony, longevity, maitreya, mountain folkcraft chinese wood block print collection, paper, peach, wood block print

Categories event, painting / prints, paper

Wood Block Print – Kitchen God

02/12/2015 //

W340xH530mm, China

Today the 24th day of lunar December is the day to thank your Kitchen God.

It is believed that the Kitchen God has spend a year blessing our food and our cooking (which one must be thankful for!), apart from this he has been monitoring our virtue and evil deeds and will depart in the morning to report to the Jade Emperor. To thank him for his hard work and to avoid any slip up with his report, special food has to be offered for this occasion.

A bowl of water and a bowl of rice – to signify that the Kitchen God to be pure and impartial.
Sugarcane – the node of the sugar cane forms the ladder for the Kitchen God to reach the sky.
Rice cake – to make his mouth sticky so no bad things would leak out
Satsumas, tangerines and red Sugar – to sweeten his mouth
Paper Horse, black robe and boots – costume and transport for his journey to the Jade Emperor
Cheat Sheet – a yellow piece of paper with words chosen by the family

Now I wonder what happened to the bowl of rice and water …

Click here to see our other Kitchen God prints.

Come to see the actual print and many others at the
New Year Print Exhibition

MOUNTAIN FOLKCRAFT
CHINESE WOOD BLOCK PRINT COLLECTION

Tags chinese, chinese new year print, jade emperor, kitchen god, mountain folkcraft chinese wood block print collection, paper, wood block print

Categories event, painting / prints, paper

Wood Block Print – Cavalry Door Gods

02/11/2015 //

W250xH420mm, China

The warriors are Qin Qiong (left) and Wei Chi Gong (right), the pair are posted up on the front doors (traditional Chinese doors are in pair) of the house to protect it from evils. Click here to see the full story of how they became the door gods.

This pair of door gods are of the category “Cavalry Door Gods with Bian Jian”, they are riding on horses and holding the traditional weapons known as “bian” and “jian”. Sometimes they are displayed riding on mythical creatures and holding sacred objects.

Come to see the actual print and many others at the
New Year Print Exhibition

MOUNTAIN FOLKCRAFT
CHINESE WOOD BLOCK PRINT COLLECTION

Tags bian jian, cavalry, chinese, chinese new year print, event, exhibition, mountain folkcraft chinese wood block print collection, paper, qin qiong, wei chi gong, wood block print

Categories event, painting / prints, paper

New Year Print Exhibition

02/10/2015 //

New Year Prints are traditional decorations for the Chinese New Year, the theme of these wood block prints are most often blessings and well wishes.

This year to celebrate the Year of the Ram, over 100 prints we have collected over the years will be on show and available for sale.

MOUNTAIN FOLKCRAFT
CHINESE WOOD BLOCK PRINT COLLECTION

Tags chinese, chinese new year print, exhibition, mountain folkcraft collection, mountian folkcraft chinese wood block print collection, paper, wood block prints

Categories event, painting / prints, paper

Cicada Necklace

02/09/2015 //

DIA200mm, Hong Kong

While we are waiting for spring to get warmer, the cicadas are waiting for a hot summer night for 3 to as many as 17 years for some species. On that specific night the cicadas nymphs will emerge from the ground, climb up a tree where they will molt, acquire a pair of wings, sing and find a partner. After mating, the female cicadas will lay hundred of eggs, when they hatch, the young nymphs will dropped into the soil, live for years until that one hot summer night.

The Chinese believe that cicada is a symbol of immortality, the exuvia from molting drops to the ground and one night in summer they emerges again singing.

Something Old Something New
Collectible Jewellery Collection

Tags agate, cicada, collectible jewellery collection, hong kong, immortality, jewellery, molt, necklace

Categories jewellery, stone

In Conversations with 100 Local Artists Exhibition

02/06/2015 //

10th Anniversary exhibition
In Conversations with 100 local artists

The exhibition showcases five series of artworks, four of the new series of artworks by the gallery artists Chris Lo, Alannala Lau, Kennis Chan and Jiwye To. One of the highlight collaborative art piece created by the 100 local artists, featuring an installation consisting of 100 small pieces, each measured by 25x25cm; this installation thus embodies an intimate connection among the participating artists and creates a visual dialogue where artists may interact with each other and gain new insidghts on local contemporary art.

YY9 Gallery
Unit 206, 2/F., Phase I, Chai Wan Industrial City, 60 Wing Tai Road, Chai Wan, Hong Kong

Opening Hours: Wed – Sat 1-7pm
ends 31 March 2015

Tags alnnala lau, chris lo, exhibition, hong kong, jiwye to, kennis chan, local artist, yy9 gallery

Categories Uncategorized

Golden Wood Carving – Mu Gui Ying

02/05/2015 //

L400xD60xH170mm, China

This is a scene from the opera “Mu Gui Ying Takes Command”. The story was set in North Sung dynasty, the Yang were a family mighty warriors, up to the grand mother to the young grandson, fought loyally for their country with many of them killed in the war. On the day while the family was preparing for Yang Zongbao’s birthday came the bad news – Yang was killed in the field. The family decided to go for seek for his revenge, grandma She Sai Hua was reluctant to send away her grandson Yang Wenguang, for all the male in the family has died, her husband all all her 10 sons. Mu Gui Ying, the wife of Zongbao and mother of Wenguang tested her son to see if he is good enough to go to war and it turned out he is a good fighter, so the Mu Gui Ying took command and went to war with her son.

In the wood carving, on the right is Mu Gui Ying on the horse with Yang Wenguang on the horse on the left, the other female of the family were out to see them off.

Tags chinese, figurine, gold wood carving, lacquer, mu gui ying, wood carving, yang family warrior, yang wenguang

Categories figurine, lacquer, wood

New Year Print – Arrival of Spring

02/04/2015 //

W300xH240mm, China

Today, 4th Feburary 2015 marks the beginning of spring, “Li Chun” is the first term of the 24 solar terms in the lunar calendar. You might notice that from today onward, the temperature, sunlight as well as the rain would increase, the cold wind would be replaced by warming breeze, the ground started to defrost, 5 days on even the worms would appear, another 5 days you will find fish swimming to the surface of the water.

For the farms, the arrival spring begin a new year of growth, this wood block print would be posted up in the manger to safe guard the livestock from disease and enable a lively stock.
On the left sits the God of the Ox and the right with 3 eyes, the God of the horse, next to them their officers.

The villagers would prepare a large ox figure made of clay, inside to be stuffed with grains, on the day of Li Chun it will be whipped into pieces, the broken clay would be taken home and put into the manger, a symbol that it will always be filled.