Archives for category: toy
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Clay Rooster

02/10/2012 //
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W40xL80xH80mm, China

Clay toys are a popular folk toy, they are affordable and has a certain naive and child like expression.  Wonder how these clay toy are made?  The clay from 2m under ground are usually used (they are easily available,  higher in plasticity and with less impurity).  The  dug up clay is sun dried then crushed down with a mallet.  The fine clay sieved out into a dish and soaked with water for a several days.  The semi wet clay is lay on a stone slab; after a sprinkle of water, it is pounced with a mallet, this process is repeated several time until the clay is not sticking to the slab, then form a cube with the clay.  Slabs are cut out with a wire and then into coil.  The coils are pressed onto a 2 pieces mould (the mould are dusted with dried clay powder for ease of case removal), the 2 parts of the mould are then joined together and joined together with additional coil from the inside, then the bottom is sealed off.  The mould is released and the clay toy is left to dried before colouring.  The base colour of the Chinese clay toy are normally white, with a few line to pick up the details.

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Categories clay, figurine, toy

White Bone Yin Yang Sword

02/03/2012 //
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L800xW60mm, Hong Kong

This is the famous “White Bone Yin Yang Sword” which I believe belonged to my cousin.  It was made at the time when fathers would still make toys for the kids then giving them psp, ipad or nds.  The sword is based on the one in the movie “White Bone Yin Yang Sword” staring the teen idol Connie Chan Po Chu.  I am sure many of you would have the Lightsaber, the Star War version of the handmade toy.

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Categories toy, wood

Gourd Cricket Cage

01/29/2012 //
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DIA100xH220mm, China

This cute little man is in fact a gourd!  It doesnt have the normal “8” shape (see entry Small Gourd) as it was been formed with the string bounded technique.  When the gourd is still green and tender, a string is fastened to it tightly, the string is use as a guide and restriction for its growth, by the time when it is ripe and fully grown a certain shape is formed.  This reminded me some of Araki Nobuyoshi’s work, perhaps both has a feeling of manipulation and distortion.  The drawing on the gourd is done by a technique known as heat engraving; a metal needle is inserted into a large joss stick (finger thick), the joss stick is then lighted up, using the heat the score skin of on the air dried fruit, creating a mark.  The heat can be lowered by clipping away portion of the burning joss stick.  There are different needles for different lines and shade; mainly, the pointed set for lines, horse shoe shape set for shading and knife shape for smoother lines.  Now the function of this little man, its a toy cricket cage for children to keep their pets.  The man will be at a headstand position with the lid on top, the shape of the gourd will give a resonance for the song of the crickets.

For the bamboo cage, see entry cricket cage

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Categories cage, container, figurine, toy

Money God

01/27/2012 //
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DIA60xH80mm, China

Today is the 5th day of the Chinese New Year and the day for welcoming the Money God, the Money God has his four assistants will visit and bless randomly a handful of people.  On the day of the 5th, you might notice that shops and households trying to draw their attention with fire crackers or food in front of their statue (or nowadays the free posters that come with the weekly magazine).

It is a toy for the drinking game since the Tang dynasty, after wobbling, the person he is looking at will have to drink up!  This money god roly poly toy is made of paper with clay as a weight.

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Categories clay, figurine, paper, toy

Year of the Dragon

01/24/2012 //
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W140xL180xH160mm, China

Everyone must have seen the dragon dance during Chinese New Year, ever wonder how the dragon head is constructed? Here is a miniature version of the bamboo structure that goes under the paper or cloth constructed skin (which belongs to a dragon kite). Bamboo stripes are bend and tied together at junction points with a paper knot. For the actual performance piece the structure will be will be stronger and bolder. The body is made with piece of red cloth with resembled the scale of the dragon, with rods every 1.8m apart for the dancers to control the body. The length between the head and the tail can go up to 4m. Another dancer will raise a sphere for the dragon to chase.

In a traditional dragon dance, in a ceremony the body of the dragon will be invited out from the Dragon King Temple, the head and the tail will be attached and only then will the eyes be drawn on the dragon. Dragon is a creature both respected and feared by the Chinese, being the leader of the 4 spiritual creatures, it is believed to be able to control the sea and the weather, make it calm and peaceful or cause the wave to become furious. After the performances of the dragon dance, the head and the tail will be dismantled and burnt, only the body will returned to the temple to be kept for next year’s dragon dance.

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Categories bamboo, figurine, paper, toy

Tiger Squeak

01/19/2012 //
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DIA50mm, China

Yes yes I know tigers dont squeak, they roar … This toy is in keeping with the Chinese fascination of tiger as a protector guardian of children and child’s tiger squeak…  This tiger is made out of 2 pieces of clay, a bit like an oreo cookie, however it is a thin leather or toughen paper that is sandwich in between.  A squeak is fixed in the bottom layer, by moving the 2 parts a squeak will be sound.  It is known as the leather tiger.  It happens in China all the air blower tools, from bellow to a camera len blower are all called the leather tiger, can this only be a coincident?  or would it be some tribute to this toy.  Sadly, this toy is not longer popular for today’s children and are quite hard to find.

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Categories clay, toy

Xiu Qiu

01/09/2012 //
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DIA120mm, China

Yesterday we talked about a representation of  the Xiu Qiu on wood carving (see Golden Wood Carving-01/08/2012), here is the real thing.  The legend behind the Xiu Qiu is a love story; some 800 years ago in the old town of Jing Xi, Ah Di was in love the with girl Ah Xiu of the neighboring village.  One spring, when Ah Xiu was shopping in the market, a rich arrogant brat had his eyes on her and want her as his wife.  Ah Xiu turned down the proposal because of her love for Ah Di.  When the wealthy guy was furious and bribed the court to give Ah Di a death sentence.  Ah Xiu was blinded by her tears but she decided to make a xiu qiu for Ah Di as a keepsake.  Before the execution Ah Xiu visited Ah Di at the prison and gave him the xiu qiu as a gesture of her love for him, at that moment the siu qiu lighted up and transported both of them to a place far away from their villages.  And of course, they lived happily ever after …  Since then it became a popular keepsake.

For its resemblance, the Chinese has also named the Hydrangea as the Xiu Qiu flower.

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Categories fabric, toy

Bristle Opera Dolls

12/09/2011 //
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W60xH120mm, China

These opera dolls have been a popular toy in Beijing since the Qing dynasty. The head and the base of the doll is made of clay, the structure with the stem of millet covered with a beautifully painted paper.  However, the most important construction of the dolls are the 2mm tall bristle at the bottom of the base.  They will be played on a bronze tea tray.  By tapping lightly on the tray, the figurines would move in a rhythmic fashion just as they would in the beijing opera.  Apart from being a toy, they are also used for performance, “bronze tea tray opera”; the required characters for the opera would be put on the tray, matched with real life opera singing.

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Categories clay, figurine, paper, toy

The Pig Rider Cloth Toy

11/19/2011 //
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H150xL150xW50mm, China

Cloth toys are popular items made by mothers for their children in rural China.  They are made of everyday object; leftover cloth, cardboard, decorated with bold embroidery giving an animated life to the toy.  The cloth toy in this part of Shaan Xi area is noted for the head being flat and changing to a 3 dimensional body.

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Categories fabric, figurine, toy

Air Ship

11/01/2011 //
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L230mm, China

Tin toy of the Zeppelin air ship.  Tin toy was introduced into China at the turn of the century and by the 20s China has started producing tin toy.  As they are durable and cheap they became the toy for many generations.

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Categories metal, toy
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