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Wood Block Print – Kitchen God

02/12/2015 //
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File-3---C11---3016-2-灶君府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

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Categories event, painting / prints, paper

Wood Block Print – Cavalry Door Gods

02/11/2015 //
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File-7---CSC---06M-中門神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

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Categories event, painting / prints, paper

New Year Print Exhibition

02/10/2015 //
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MF-CNY-04.02

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

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Categories event, painting / prints, paper

New Year Print – Arrival of Spring

02/04/2015 //
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P1040706bW300xH240mm, 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.

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Categories painting / prints, paper

Wood Block Print – Bird & Plum Blossom

01/26/2015 //
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P1040630b

W380xH520mm, China

Bird and the Plum Blossom,
a traditional and popular composition for Chinese crafts.

A play on the phase 喜上眉梢 (xi shang mei shao), one is so happy that joy is expressed when in the eye brow.  You might wonder what a facial express has to do with plum blossom and bird.  The bird is 喜鵲 pica pica (magpie), its climbing on the plum branch 喜上梅梢 (xi shang mei que) has the same pronunciation has this uncontrollable joy.

Bird and Plum Blossom theme with
pearl inlay craft – pearl box,
pottery pattern – plum & bird plate,
ceramic figurines – pottery birds,
wood carving – birds in plum blossom

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Categories painting / prints, paper

Wood Block Print – Liu Hai & The 3 Legged Toad

01/14/2015 //
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W370xH320mm, China

Once upon a time, the princess of the Dragon King decided to sneak out of the palace in disguised as a 3 legged toad.  She left the Dragon Lake and hopped along the stream, in the wood a large python was thinking a toad would make a good lunch.  Luckily this was spotted by the young Liu Hau who was collecting logs for fire, Liu rescued the toad just as the python was about to make his attack.  The princes was moved and left him a magic dragon pearl.  After returning to the palace, the princess found herself in love with Liu so she sneaked out as a toad to look for him.  One day, Liu came by the Dragon Lake for a drink of water and saw a string of coins, he looked around for the person who have left it behind but there were no one around, though poor Liu didnt keep it for himself.  As he started to head home, the string of coins started to ring.  Little did he know that the princess toad was holding the other end of the string in the lake, she was hoping to attract his attention with the coins.  While he was examining the ringing coins, the python had returned to make his revenge and attack Liu from behind, out of desperation the toad thrown herself in between the two to protect Liu.  With the distraction, Liu managed to picked up the axe he used for chopping woods and split the python in half.  He was grateful for the little toad and started to play with it with string of coins, Liu said, “it would be great if you are a young girl, then we can get married and play together all the time.”.  The toad hopped behind him, Liu felt the string got a stronger pull, turning around he found a beautiful girl standing behind him.  Liu was shocked, “where is my little toad and who are you?”  The girl told her the whole story and Liu was moved and the two lived happily ever after.

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Categories painting / prints, paper

Greeting Card – Madame White Snake

01/06/2015 //
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cardW110xH150mm, Hong Kong

Aside from all the symbolism that the umbrella has on Hong Kong recently, this is a paper cutout from the scene of the Opera Madam White Snake.  The story was set at the West Lake in Sung dynasty, one day in the rain the young gentleman Xu Xian (figure above) saw two pretty girl at the pier and offered the umbrella to them leading to the romance of the story.  Earlier on, Xu Xian rescued a white snake, it was moved and fell in love with Xu.  The white snake transformed herself into Bai (white) Su Zhen and together with her friend Qing Qing (green) appeared at the pier.  Under her magical spell, Xu fell in love with Bai.

Click to see an embroidery of the the same scene.

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Categories paper, stationary

Wood Block Print – Pekingese Dog

12/30/2014 //
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P1040755b

W440xH300mm, China

A wood block print of two lively pekingese playing in the fields.
Pekingese dogs were known to be the emperors’ pets, roaming about in the palace.

This print is paired with a print of 2 shi zi (lions) playing which will be on tomorrow’s post.

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Happy Birthday Spikey!

12/28/2014 //
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OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

W200xD330xH260mm, Hong Kong (NOT FOR SALE)

For Spikey‘s birthday, we have a paper mache Spike!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

You can see more of spike in his own blog
http://spiketang.wordpress.com/

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Categories figurine, paper, Uncategorized

Paper Cutout – Candle Stand

12/05/2014 //
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OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

W170xH280mm, China

This paper cutout is a pair of candles on the wedding candle stand.  On the candle stand is the word double happiness “喜喜”, the two of them giving the joy of quadruple happiness!  Candles are a symbol of marriage, the word 花燭 Hua Zhu (flower candle) is synonymous with marriage.  These red wedding candles will be placed in the living room as well as the bedroom of the couple.  It is however interesting to know that the use of flower candles were initially for the bride’s family, to console the departure of their beloved daughter.

Amongst the unique pottery, you will also find Mountain Folkcraft’s collection at the Cobo Ceramic Workshop X’mas Sale.

COBO CERAMIC WORKSHOP
1/F Fortune Court, 33 Morrison Hill Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

5 – 9 Dec 2014 (Fri – Tue)
13:00-20:00

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