Archives for posts with tag: blessing
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9 Immortals Necklace

05/24/2013 //
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8 immortalsDIA165mm, China

The figurines on this necklace used to be the ornaments of a child’s hat.  A special hat would be made for the child’s birth, 100 days celebration and the first birthday.  The hat is seen as a blessing for the child, depending on the gender, family social status, the design of the hat varies.

The gold plated enamel ornaments would have belongs to a hat of a wealth family.  The 9 figurines are the 8 Immortals (one either side) + the god of Longevity (in the middle).  The 8 Immortals are; Iron-Crutch Tie Guai Li, Philosopher Han Xiang Zi, Elder Zhang Guo Lao, Lan Cai He, Immortal Woman He Zian Gu, Leader Lu Dong Bin, Han Zhong Li and Royal Uncle Cao Guo Jiu, they are Taoist saints who are not very powerful and have a few human frailties.  One of the many stories of the 8 Immortals is about their birthday wishes for the Queen Mother of the West and thus the appearance is associated with birthdays and blessings.

Here is a clip from the Xiang opera “8 Immortals birthday wishes for the Queen Mother of the West”

 Collectible Jewellery
Something Old Something New

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Categories event, figurine, jewellery, metal

Beijing Enamel Locket Necklace

05/10/2013 //
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locket necklace

DIA165mm, China

We have previous talked about the long life lockets as a blessing for the young, more detail can be found in the posts;
Silver Necklace, Kirin Boy Necklace, Happy Encounter Necklace, 13 Tai Bo Locket, Original Long Life Locket and others items such as Du Dou Embroidery, Clay Doll – A Fu.

This particular locket has been glazed with Beijing enamel, shao lan, a vitreous enamel process used typically for silver jewellery.  The powder enamel was melted at 600c to set on the silverware, cooled and reeapplied for 4-5 times.  Because of the low temperature firing, the different ingredient, the Beijing enamel is more transparent than the popular Cloisonne.

The technique was introduced from Europe in the late 17th century and like all novelty only restricted for court production.  By late Qing dynasty silver items of Beijing Enamel can be found in silversmiths.

This necklace has a hand woven string, with the silver locket anchored with a jade carving tube dyed traditional technique.  On the locket, there are two kirins on either side with the word of blessing – Fortune and Career

Locketlocket

Something Old Something New
Collectible Jewellery

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Categories event, jewellery, metal, stone

Daffodil Bowl

02/07/2013 //
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daffodil bowl

DIA200xH160mm, China

One of the decorative plants for the Chinese New Year is the daffodil, it is so popular that containers are made specially for its display.  The bowl has a number of the symbolic elements; the lotus plant and the mandarin duck.  The Chinese word for mandarin duck, Yuan Yang, stands for the male (yuan) and female (yang), meaning a pair of loving couple.  The lotus plant is a symbol of fertility.

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Categories container, pottery

New Year Paper Cutout Decoration

02/06/2013 //
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New Year Paper Cutout Decoration

W240xL380mm, China

This door hanger paper cutout is called Diao Qian Er, a blessing for household for the new year.  They would be place on the lintel on “Spring Arrival” day ( last Monday, the 4th of  Feb) and be taken down on, 24th Feb, the night of Yuan Xiao.  It is believed that if if is not taken down on Yuan Xiao, the sleepy worm would stay with the household for the year.  In rural China,  the farmers who have no Sunday or Public Holiday, Chinese New Year is the only time they would allow themselves to take a break from work and rest.  Taking off the Dio Qian Er would signify the end of the New Year celebration.

On this paper cutout; there is the word “合家歡樂”, happiness for the whole family, on a backdrop of  卍 Man Ji Wan which is a symbol for essence of goodness.  Below are symbols of coins, symbolizing wealth.

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Categories paper

Wedding Shawl

11/22/2012 //
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W720xH450mm, China

Something old,
something new,
something borrowed,
something blue,
and a sixpence in her shoe

Now how can we have Something Old Something New and not an item about wedding.  This is part of a wedding gown for rural China, this would be the shawl for the bride.  For the common folks, the bride would have wear her hair in a bun and covered with a red cloth, the clothing would be in red with similar pattern as the shawl, on the bottom she would wear a pair of simple red pants.  The shawl is embroidered with patterns of blessing, quite different from the blessing of the west but a blessing nonetheless.

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Categories costume, embroidery

Miao Woven Band

09/27/2012 //
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W65xL3200mm, China

Like the colourful band in the previous post, this black and white woven band is also a band of blessing.  The Miao tribe reside on the hillside where they are constantly harassed by the snakes; once upon a time, a snake attacked a girl by wrapping its body on her, a young lad came to her rescue.  The two soon fell in love, the girl woven a band for the young man as a sign of their love.  One day as they were travelling together they came across another snake who was ready to attack, the lad used the band, wiggle it to imitate the snake and led the snake back into the woods.  Since then, it was believed that the band would protect them from snake and all evils and the woven band became popular for the Miao.

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Categories costume, fabric, tribal

Golden Wood Carving – Carp

09/06/2012 //
1

 

W130xH70xD30, China

The carp fish is a blessing symbol for the Chinese, there are many legends regarding the carp fish and here is one of them:
Once upon a time there is an orphan named Ji Qing, without a family he made his living as a boat tracker on the Chuan Jiang River.  Life was hard but he lived his days joyfully, being a good swimmer he is able to retrieve any objects his passenger accidentally dropped into the ocean.  Diving deep into the water he had a special bond with the carp fish, even if he is hungry he will not harm them, his friend made fun of him and called him silly Qing.  One day when he was tidying up the tow string, he saw a beautiful golden carp but at the same time a water snake was about to make it his dinner.  Ji Qing threw the string on the water snake and saved the golden carp, he took the injured carp to his hut and nursed it for days.  One evening exhausted from a day’s water he rushed home to see the carp but it was no where to be found.  Oddly on the table was 4 gold bars and there carved the words, “I have jumped to the sky and swam to the reef but failed to be a dragon (it is believe that if a carp can jump over the mountain it will turn into a dragon), here I am to give wealth to Ji Qing.

Would this be the golden carp?

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Categories figurine, lacquer, wood

Toad Clay Toy

08/15/2012 //
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L80xW50xH40mm, China

When I was a kid, the boys would go for a toad toy for it being ugly and frightening, something to scare the girls with.  Today, with information from the internet, kids can tell that it is an amphibian of the order anura and probably the particular specie the toy resemble.  In the old days, toad is believed to be one of the 5 poisonous creatures (snake, centipede, scorpion, lizard and toad) that could offer protection to the child.  They can be found on embroidery, prints, toys, etc.

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Categories clay, figurine, toy

Wooden Candle Stands

07/25/2012 //
4

W40xD60xH200mm, China

This is a pair of wooden candle stand that would have been mounted on a metal or wooden base, the candle would be fixed on top of the wooden stick.  Traditional Chinese candles besides having a wick embedded, a small bamboo rod is also embedded on the bottom end.  The bamboo rod made it easier for securing the candle, may it be on a candle stand, in the sand or simply in the ground.  This pair of candle stand has a relief carving of the dragon, painted in red and gold, symbolizing blessings, they would have been used for happy occasions like grand birthdays, promotions, birth of a child, etc.

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Categories lighting, wood

Pomegranate

06/20/2012 //
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W70xD70xH100mm, China

I am sure not by the craftsman’s intent but this item just put a smile on my face, a grinning pomegranate! It can even pass as an anime figure.

Pomegranate was imported into China in the Han dynasty from Persia, because of its beautiful flowers, it was immediately loved by the country.  It blossoms in lunar May, being such an event May is also known as the pomegranate month.  Apart from its flowers, pomegranate is seen as a symbol of blessing in China; a symbol of fertility, a single fruit it bears over 1000 seeds!

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Categories lacquer, wood
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