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Figurine – Bei Di

06/25/2014 //
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figurineW140xD100xH320mm, China

This is a figurine of Bei Di, who is the Prince of  Shang dynasty.  In a dream, the Queen swallowed the sun and felt pregnant after 14 months Bei Di was born.  Though being the heir of the kingdom, he was more interested in meditation than in the power he was born into.  Finally, he left his parents and went to Wu Dung to study Taoism.  After 42 years, he was sainted by the Jade Emperor.  It is also believed that he is the 82 reincarnation of the Tai Shang Lao Jun.

There are several Bei Di temples in Hong Kong which is well worth visiting.
There is one in Wanchai, Sham Shui Po and Cheung Chau.

figurine

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Categories figurine, wood

Elder Saint

06/24/2014 //
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figurine
W85xD70xH200mm, Hong Kong

This is an effigy of a elder female ancestor of the Tanka tribe.  These ancestor figurines were kept at the boats of the Tanka fisherman offering them safety at sea.

Click here to see our other junk boat gods.

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Categories figurine, tribal, wood

Goodies Jar

06/06/2014 //
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jarDIA200xH230mm, China

When I think of a jar, my association would goes to food.  Cookies.  A glass jar filled with cookies.  Though I have never really bothered putting cookies in a jar … they are usually finished and there is nothing else to store.  Chinese jars are also made to store food stuff; dry goods such as tea, mushroom, charred rice, moist food like pickles, condiments etc.  Jars are a necessary for any kitchen.

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Categories container, pottery, wood

Cookie Mould

05/14/2014 //
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cookie mouldL310xW70xH20mm, China

Cookie moulds for 3 different cookies.

Happiness (喜), blessings (福), the lotus fruit.

You might wonder with the style of the cookies are so different, maybe the 2 on the left with the words are for the parents and the more graphical one for the child.  All the 3 cookies are a symbol of  blessing, the lotus fruit (蓮子) “lian zi” is wish for having many children, the word 蓮 “lian” sounds like 連 “consecutive” and the word 子 means sons.

Blessing cookies for the wedding with happy future and many children.

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Categories tools, wood

Buddha’s Birthday

05/06/2014 //
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W160xD120xH360mm, Thailand

Today is the Buddha’s birthday, Vesak.  A holy day for the Buddhist, commemorating the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha  (Siddhartha Gautama).  Because of the lunar calendar and varies customs, the date of celebration varies in different countries.  For the Chinese Buddhist, the celebration falls on the 8th day of lunar April.  You might still be able to catch the celebration in other parts of the world.

More than 2500 year ago, the Buddha was born.  His wisdom guides the Buddhists away from the hinders of this world.

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Categories figurine, wood

Golden Wood Carving – Fu Lu Shou + Ma Gu

04/29/2014 //
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golden wood carving

L230xD30xH90mm, China

This golden wood carving makes a perfect birthday present.

The four figurines are full of blessing, Fu Lu Shou and Ma Gu.  They are all Taoist saints, representing blessings and happiness.

Fu (far right) – the planet Jupiter which was also attributed to Yang Cheng of the West Han period.  Yang, after being nominated to be the Daozhou official, abolished the practice of present contribution to the Emperor, relieving the stain for the people and therefore seen as a blessing.

Lu (left of Fu) – god of prosperity.  The stars Ursa Majoris humanized as Zhang Xian of the Shu dynasty, a brave general who was respected by the Emperor and worshiped by the people.

Shou (left of Lu) – god of longevity.  The stars of Canopus, translated as Peng Zu who is believed to have livd to an age of 767!!

Lady (at the far left) is Ma Gu, goddess of longevity – with the appearance still being in her teens, she has witnessed 3 times the sea turned into fields (judging its not from any dramatic climatic changes, she has been around for a long long time).  Her immortality and her yearly birthday tribute to the Queen Mother of the West is seen as a blessing and so Ma Gu is a popular subject for pritns, figurines, embroidery and alike.

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Categories figurine, lacquer, wood

Mah Meri Mask

04/24/2014 //
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maskW150xD60xH240mm, Malaysia

This mask belongs to the Mah Meri tribe.  Mah Meri means “People Forest”, they believes that all mythological characters are supreme and that ancestral spirits use plants and animals to make food for humans.

The Jo-Oh masks are said to give spiritual power to the wearer during dance rituals, representing the soul of the ancestors.

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Categories mask, tribal, wood

Good Friday

04/17/2014 //
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christW100xD65xH320mm, Philippines

During the Holy Week in the Philippines, starting from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, a number of religious observations were held.

On Good Friday (Biyernes Santo), the day starts with the Way of the Cross procession where Jesus’ Seven Last Words are portrayed.  In some area, this was acted out literally, those who had their wishes granted even went as far as having themselves nailed on a cross.  This is followed by the procession of the Sano Eniterro, where a wooden sculpture of the dead Christ is parade.  Scenes from the life Jesus were also depicted in figurines and shown in carriages around town.

In this figurine, Jesus is lifting up his garment and revealing his left leg, would anyone know which part of the scripture does this fit into?

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Categories figurine, wood

Jewellery Box

04/16/2014 //
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W240xD160xH100mm, China

An old wooden jewellery box with compartment, a mirror and a small latch for pad lock.

It gives a feeling of nostalgia and mystery.
Perhaps an ideal setting for a Joseph Cornell type box project.
A box of dream inside a lock treasure box.

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Categories container, glass, wood

Inkstone & Case

04/15/2014 //
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W185xL280xH45mm, China

A wooden box that contain a piece of stone.  A stone that is used for grinding the ink bar – an inkstone.

A little water is added from the water drip onto the inkstone, one can still starting grinding the ink.  In a small circular movement while keeping the ink still perpendicular to the stone, slowing the ink is dissolved.  Though the inkstone has a very smooth surface, under the microscope this surface is in fact saw like, able to fine grind the inkstone.


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The inkstone is carved out from a single piece of stone and this detail is carried through to the case which is also carved out from a single piece of wood.

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Categories container, stationary, stone, wood
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