W40xL80xH80mm, China
This little clay peacock toy has come to join in the birdy collection.
Archives for category: toy
W40xD60xH60mm, China
How can we have a bird feeder without a bird? This is a pottery bird whistle toy with a beautiful green glaze.
W120xD100xH200mm, China
In the old days when free love was forbidden in China, all marriage proposals has to go through a matchmaker. Even when the couples are already in love with each other, one would still have to go through a matchmaker in order to make the marriage a proper one. The job of the matchmaker seems to be only opened to woman, apart from the proposing, they are also responsible for presenting the information of both families. In order to make the deal, the positive points are often emphasised and the weakness carefully put. Acting as the communicator for both families, she is also the co-ordinator, MC, organiser for the wedding.
The head of the figurine nods and the body wobbles resembling the matchmaker lady saying all the goodness about the marriage. The fan, of course, is the essential tool for the matchmaker, making sure everyone would stay cool during the big day.
W100xD50xH130mm, China
This is no Easter bunny but the famous Lord Rabbit. It is a toy for the Mid Autumn (full moon) festival in the Beijing area. The Lord Rabbit figurine first appeared in the late Ming dynasty, it was mainly used for worshipping by the younger generations. It is believed that Chang E, the moon goddess, has a pet rabbit who is whiter than white jade as he was named as the Jade Rabbit. The Jade Rabbit was specialised in preparing the medicine (you might have seen images of him stirring the medicinal pot on the moon). Jade Rabbit worshipping has then been taken into moon worship and since rabbit has been kept as a household pet, out of respect for the Jade Rabbit god he was worshipped as the Lord Rabbit. By Qing dynasty Lord Rabbit has turned into a toy for the Mid Autumn festival. The folk story goes; once Beijing was infected by plague, almost all the household got sick, the moon goddess was sadden by the news and sent the Jade Rabbit to help cure the capital. At each household he healed he would turned down any gifts but instead borrow a new set of clothing. With the new clothing he would assume a different image for the next household, sometimes a female, sometimes a general etc. He would also take on different animals for transportation; a deer, a tiger, a horse etc., hence there are many different versions of his figurines.
W80xD60xH130mm, China
This is a toy from the famous Nie estate village, it is believed in the Ming dynasty a man named Nie arrived from He Bei on the run from a business failure. On his desperation he arrived with his wife to a village in Shan Dong, even exhausted and penniless his mind was still reminiscent on the days of high life. He grabbed a handful of clay and formed it in a clay tin, he then filled it with a bit fireworks and left the top open with a small hole. Upon ignition, there comes an amazing fireworks display, it instantly became a hit and he name it Guo Zi Hua (fireworks in a pot). It soon turned into a speciality of the village, the clay figure became more decorative and take on figurines of humans and different animals, so after the display of the fireworks, one get to keep a clay toy as well. As time goes by the fireworks were taken out and the focus started on the clay figurine toy itself.
This is a pair of clay lions which about from being a toy also can function as bookends.
W120xH120mm, China
How to Play: Put the palms together with the vertical stick in between, rub quickly the hands in opposite direction and release, the toy will fly up the sky like a helicopter! This toy has been documented in Baopuzi around 400AC, if one can travel in time, it would be amazing to have this toy inventor sitting in a helicopter!
W30xL60xH80mm, China
This stone carving has puzzle me for a while; what creature can it be?
It has:
no horns,
a short neck,
long legs,
hoofs,
short tails
Baby goat?
let me know if you have a better guess.
W100xH120mm, China
Apology for not blogging for the last few days. The blog is back on again!
Knife-Horse-Man is the name for artifice whose subject is based on war based stories or opera. K-H-M can be found in paintings, illustration of ceramics down to folk toys like these. Some of the clay K-H-M figures can be as tall as 600mm, it is believed that they are able to protect the household.
L60xW30xH30mm, China
This is a small stone carving of a small rat and cucumber.
Does rat like cucumber?
DIA70xL160mm, China
This is a Chinese version of the thaumatrope; by pulling the string that is attached to the axial of the circular frame, the image inside the frame will turn over and over again. The 2 images from both side of the frame will appear as 1 due to the persistence of vision. The momentum of the spin will cause the axial to spin at the reverse direction result in a prolong animation.
click on me!
Mountain Folkcraft 