Curious Item 3 – Dish with Spout

04/04/2014 //
4

dish with spoutDIA150xH40, China

A flat dish with a spout.

This is one of the items in the shop that I have problem finding out its use.

Spout – suggest the use for pouring out liquid, powder or beads?
Blue and white under glaze –  suggest a clear liquid (verse ink) so pattern can be appreciated?
Heavy & flat – suggest not intended to be handle often (unlike a teapot)?

If anyone has any idea how this item was intended to be used, please let me know!

If you are interested in solving puzzles, check out the other curious items; A Jade Tool, Paper Lacquered Tray.

Now back to the pattern; clouds and crane.  It is a popular ceramic pattern, it is believe that the crane is a mythical bird and symbolizes longevity.

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Categories container, pottery

Opium Scale

04/04/2014 //
0

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

W60xL330xH30mm, China

Categories metal, tools, wood

Paper Cutout Card

04/01/2014 //
0

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

W130xH160mm, Hong Kong

For the cat lovers, a paper cutout of a cat.
Mounted on a card.

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Categories paper, stationary

Chi Wen – The Roof Hip Monster

03/31/2014 //
0

roof lion roof lionL230xW80xH230mm, China

This little monster is the son of the dragon, his name is Suan Ni.  He loves smokes and incense and normally found on the incense burner, as he also loves sitting around Suan Ni is one of the monsters that resides on the roof.  Unlike his brother Chi Wen who loves looking a far and occupies the two ends of the main ridge, Suan Ni sits with the other 4 monsters on the hip of the roof.

The Phoenix Riding Saint – the brother in law of Jiang Zi Ya, who is always nagging Jiang for a promotion in his sainthood.  Jiang, in charge of the appointment of saints put him at the end of the ridge, meaning that anything higher will cause him to fall off the roof.


Followed by the 5 roof hip monsters;

Pheonix – a mythical creature, the queen of all birds.
Suan Ni – the on of dragon who sit around and loves smokes and incense.
Xia Yu – a sea monster, together with Suan Ni, they can control the weather and protect the building.
Xie Zhi – part eagle part leopard, eating all the bad guys, a symbol of justice.
Dou Niu – a type of dragon, able to control the rain.

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Categories figurine, furniture / architecture, metal

Gak Gung Bow

03/28/2014 //
0

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAW30xL450xD380mm, Korea

Archery has been an important weapon in Korea, known as the Gak Gung, the bow is made with a composite of buffalo horns, bamboo and other material.

東夷 Dong Yi is the name Korean are referred to by the Chinese, the word 夷 is a combination of the word 大 (big) and the word 弓 (bow); it does seem that the Chinese has been wary of this powerful weapon.  In the Korean legends, the first Korean king Go Jumong could hit 5 flies in one arrow, King Park Hyeokgeose  can shoot the bow as far as China (the ancient day missile)!
bow

One can see in this video that the construction of the Gak Gung is very established and specific.


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Categories bamboo, tools

Wood Block Print – Mountain God

03/27/2014 //
0

Image (36)W220xL300mm, China

There is a believe that there are gods living in the mountain, the woods and the streams; to ensure a safe journey, one would worship these gods before entering the mountain or travelling by boat.

In this wood block print, on the right is the mountain god, on the left his wife, around them their guards and maids.

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Categories painting / prints, paper

Pearl Box

03/26/2014 //
0

pearl boxD160xL280xH80mm, China

A box for the precious objects, decorated with mother of pearl inlay describing a scene of plum blossom and playful birds.  The theme of plum blossom and birds often appears in jewelry, paintings and pottery, symbolizing the beginning of a new year (click to see our other items of the same theme).

pearl box

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Categories container, wood

Plate with A River Scene

03/25/2014 //
0

plateDIAxHmm, China

This plate depicted a scene from the river, boats scattered around in the water with the landscape at the background.

Rivers are the veins of China, they provide water for irrigation, food source and transport.  River scenes are the homeland for us and dreamland for others.  In the Li River in Gui Lin, cormorant fishing is practiced, these birds are trained to capture the fish that had been attracted to the light from the boat and to bring them back to the fisherman, a bit like the hunting dogs.

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Categories container, pottery

Keel

03/24/2014 //
0

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA boatW120xL490xH90mm, Hong Kong (NOT FOR SELL)

Some point in every boy’s childhood came the grand project of making a toy boat.

This keel is part of my father’s.
Carved out from a single piece of wood, its almost sculpture like.
The smoothness of the surface, the textured interior reminded me of the coco de mer.

Boys today are more sensitive in digital nature, perceiving the world through the screen and the input device.

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Categories toy, wood

Oil Jar

03/21/2014 //
0

jar jar jarDIA350xH550mm, Hong Kong

Jars were used to contain sauces, paste and oil for sale in the grocery stores.  In the old days, it was these jars would be reused and everyone would bring their own bottles and containers to buy the stuff which are either wrapped in newspaper or tied together by a string of plant fiber (Cyperus Tegetiformis).  There was no concept of being environmentally friendly but the general atmosphere of not being wasteful, objects would take on different function as they fit again and again until it disintegrates.

Sadly, the jars and the recycled bottles have been replaced by plastic ones, local grocery stores by supermarkets and our countryside replaced by landfills.



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Categories container, pottery
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