Archives for category: tools
Newer Entries »

Iron Scissors

10/05/2011 //
1

L120xW120mm, China

The early form of scissors in China is made with a single piece of flat metal stripe ribboned  to form a kind of spring shear.  As times goes by the pivot point moved further away from the blades developing better control for the tool.  The two parts scissors only started to appear in the Zong Dynasty, the two blades were held by a nail with the rest of the metal bar forming the handle.  To reduce the friction caused by the two blades, the blades are made slightly curved, touching only at the pivot and the tips.  During cutting only one point will meet to enable the shearing action, this is controlled by the hand movement of the user (so unlike the western scissors, the pivot are tuned loose).

Tags , ,
Categories metal, tools

Ceramic Guo Mould

10/05/2011 //
2

Fish L200xW100mm, China

These ceramic moulds are for making Guo.  The guo is a Chaozhou dumplings made with a thin rice flour dough with fillings of different types vegetable, nuts or beans that can be savory or sweet.   Guo is made for Chinese New Year, all other festivals, harvests and all events in life (birth, adulthood, marriage, death).  Different guo are made for different events;  the red peach guo for new year, vegetable guo for spring and autumn festivals, rice plant guo for harvest.  The moulds are made of different patterns  for this purpose;  the turtle and the peach for birthday – represents longevity, the fish is synonymous with excess (to have more than enough), bat synonymous with blessing, etc.  These moulds can be of wood or ceramics.

Tags , , , , , , ,
Categories pottery, tools

Japanese Round Fan (Uchiwa)

10/03/2011 //
0

(L)L700xW550mm (S)L370xW260mm, Japan

This is a Japanese fan, uchiwa, it is constructed from a single piece of bamboo.  The bottom part of the bamboo forms the handle while the top part is split into many equal splinters which are splayed out radially to create the frame of the fan, paper is then pasted on top and varnished for water protection.  For the large uchiwa, thick cotton string is used to tie together the bamboo stems to reinforce the fan structure.  The uchiwa are believed to be originated from China, during the Tong dynasty they were introduced to Japan and also became a popular accessories for the aristocracy and ladies.  The pattern on the paper are refined and elaborated.  Apart from daily use for cooling, the uchiwa is also used in ceremonies, dances and gifts.

Tags , , , ,
Categories bamboo, paper, tools
Newer Entries »