Archives for category: figurine
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Dragon and Lion Rider – Uncle Saint

11/30/2012 //
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W100xD70xH180mm, Macau

The courageous looking figurine, riding on a tiger on the right and stepping on a dragon on the left is in fact an ancestral saint of the fisherman of Hong Kong.  For the Chinese both the dragon and tiger are creature of power, being able to control them would give extraordinary strength.  These ancestral saint are kept and worshiped on the junk boat by the Tanka tribe for keeping safe their journey at sea.

See our other junk boat gods; Tanka Wooden Effigy, Junk Boat God (god?), Junk Boat God, Crane Riding Mother Saint

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Categories figurine, wood

Oil Flask

11/02/2012 //
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DIA50xH100mm, China

This item selected by Furze for the Something Old Something New exhibition and is available at both Mountain Folkcraft and Soil.

In the old days this flask would have been used in the kitchen for keeping oil or soy sauce for cooking.  Now with the hairy crab (Chinese mitten crabs) season coming up, it would be ideal for serving Hua Diao wine.  Being pottery, you can submerge the flask into hot water to heat up the wine.  Now talk about pottery and hairy crab, I cant help to show a piece of my work.

W120xD80xH40mm, Hong Kong (not for sale)

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Categories container, figurine, JT pottery, Mountain Folkcraft X Soil, pottery

Emergency Monkey

09/25/2012 //
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W40xD40xH80, China

Every time I see this snuff bottle I feel as if this ought to be a bottle for some cold remedy.  The red cap on the monkey’s head reminded me an emergency siren or more the flashing light of the ultraman.

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Categories figurine, stone

Lion Tin Toy

09/24/2012 //
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W50xL120xH50mm, China

Its really a surprise to find this tin toy, it is intriguing in a couple of sense.  First, thought China has been a major manufacturer or tin toy since the 1920s, the design of the toy has broadly based on the original western themes (robots, cars, ships, objects which for the Chinese would have been deemed western).  This toy, a lion, has departed from the normal tin toy design.  For those who has seen a lion (photo, on telly, zoo or safari) would have said that this look at best a silly green monster and nothing like a lion at all.  This however has all the features a Chinese lion would have.

Now for the second surprise; there are no lions in China (not naturally there).  The idea of lion come together with Buddhism as an animal of power, the lion is as mythical as the kirin.  Since there are no lions, the Chinese do not see it as a predictor but as a protector against evil.  They can be seen guarding the front doors, on the ridge of a building, lion dances for New Year.  So fond of it that the male lion will normally been given a xiu qiu to play with.

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Categories figurine, metal, toy

Owl

09/21/2012 //
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DIA220xH350mm, Thailand

This earthenware is from Dan Kwian, the pottery village in Thailand.  The pottery there is known for its rust like colour which is the result from the high iron oxide content in the clay that were used.  The clay are collected from the nearby Moon River where the Kha tribe used to live, it is believed that they were the original potter of the area.  The style and shape of the pottery has been passed down and even now traditional technique are still used by the potters.

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Categories figurine, pottery

Golden Wood Carving – Carp

09/06/2012 //
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W130xH70xD30, China

The carp fish is a blessing symbol for the Chinese, there are many legends regarding the carp fish and here is one of them:
Once upon a time there is an orphan named Ji Qing, without a family he made his living as a boat tracker on the Chuan Jiang River.  Life was hard but he lived his days joyfully, being a good swimmer he is able to retrieve any objects his passenger accidentally dropped into the ocean.  Diving deep into the water he had a special bond with the carp fish, even if he is hungry he will not harm them, his friend made fun of him and called him silly Qing.  One day when he was tidying up the tow string, he saw a beautiful golden carp but at the same time a water snake was about to make it his dinner.  Ji Qing threw the string on the water snake and saved the golden carp, he took the injured carp to his hut and nursed it for days.  One evening exhausted from a day’s water he rushed home to see the carp but it was no where to be found.  Oddly on the table was 4 gold bars and there carved the words, “I have jumped to the sky and swam to the reef but failed to be a dragon (it is believe that if a carp can jump over the mountain it will turn into a dragon), here I am to give wealth to Ji Qing.

Would this be the golden carp?

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Categories figurine, lacquer, wood

Buddah – Earth Witness

08/24/2012 //
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W150xD120xH370mm, Thailand

This is a Buddha statue in the Bhumisparsha Mudra posture, with his right hand resting on knee while reaching toward the earth and the left hand lies on the lap facing upward.  This gesture is also known as the “earth witness” which is the most iconic image of Buddhism.  This gesture symbolizes unshakability and steadfastness; the legend goes just before Siddhartha Gautama was enlightened to become the Buddha, demon Mara called upon his armies of monster to attacking, hoping to scare him away from his meditation under the bodhi tree.  Siddhartha stayed unshaken and  continued his mediation.  The demon claimed the enlightenment for himself and called for his monsters to give witness to his superior spiritual achievements, Mara then asked Siddhartha if anyone could give witness for him.  Siddhartha simply extended his hand to reach the ground and the earth responded and giving witness for him.  Mara was defeated at his own challenge and vanished.  The next day Siddhartha Gautama enlightened to become the Buddha himself.

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Categories figurine, wood

God of Longevity

08/23/2012 //
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W200xD100xH250mm, China

Although the god of longevity originated from the stars, his large and elongated brain has nothing to do with the alien and the outer space.  The form of his head is associated with longevity, like that of  the mystical bird, the red crown crane (grus japonensis).  The red crown crane lives to 50-60 years old  which is consider to be very long when the average life span of birds are about 10-15 years.  Another association is queen mother god’s longevity peach which the plant only flower and bear once 3000 years.  Combining both of these longevity forms his head took on the exaggerated shape.

Click  to see our clay and stone version.

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Categories figurine, pottery

Toad Clay Toy

08/15/2012 //
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L80xW50xH40mm, China

When I was a kid, the boys would go for a toad toy for it being ugly and frightening, something to scare the girls with.  Today, with information from the internet, kids can tell that it is an amphibian of the order anura and probably the particular specie the toy resemble.  In the old days, toad is believed to be one of the 5 poisonous creatures (snake, centipede, scorpion, lizard and toad) that could offer protection to the child.  They can be found on embroidery, prints, toys, etc.

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Categories clay, figurine, toy

Crane Riding Mother Saint

08/08/2012 //
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W40xD50xH130mm, Macau

This is an old figurine worshiped by the fisherman on the junk boats of Hong Kong, it is one of the ancestral saints – Crane Riding Mother Saint, a figurine representing the female ancestors.  It is believe that ancestors would protect the fisherman at sea.  In Taoism, the Taoist saints be believe to travel around by riding a crane.

See our other entry of the Junk Boat Gods;
Tanka Wooden Effigy, Junk Boat God (god?), Junk Boat God

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Categories figurine, tribal, wood
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