Archives for posts with tag: child

Golden Wood Carving – Child from the Saints

10/14/2014 //
1

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

W170xD60xH130mm, China

“Child from the Saints” is a popular blessing subject in the Ming and Qing period, symbolizing blessing and fertility.  The legend dated back to the late Han dynasty, when the Wei Emperor to be was a poor farmer.  One spring, when he was working in the field, he saw a immaculate carriage landed from the sky, inside of the carriage was a beautiful lady.  He put away his tools and went to greet the visitor, the lady told him she is send by the Jade Emperor to be his wife, the two got married on the day, the lady saint said she has to go back to heaven and would meet him again a year later at the same place.  A year later, Wei arrived early to the field awaiting for his date, the magic carriage appeared, inside it was the lady saint together with a baby.  She handed him the baby and said he was his son and he will be the Emperor.

Advertisement
Tags , , , , , ,
Categories figurine, lacquer, wood

Paper Cutout Card

05/28/2014 //
0

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

W130xH160mm, Hong Kong

A papercut out.

Portrait of a child.

Reminded me of my childhood outfit for Chinese New Year.
Covered in head to in red traditional costume.

Tags , , , ,
Categories paper, stationary

Three Pongs Necklace

12/18/2012 //
2

3 pongsDIA165mm, Hong Kong

The number 3, though not a number found on the human body is a number of many famous triads.  Man, Woman and Child; Birth, Life and Death;  Beauty, Gentleness and Friendship and of course, Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.

Tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Categories event, jewellery, metal

Cushion – Patchwork

04/26/2012 //
0

W600xL600mm, China

This cushion cover is made with the “seat” portion of a baby carrier used by the Bia tribe.  This carrier is made with the patchwork technique, the coin pattern is made by folding strip of cloth into an oval shape and stitch over a colour patchwork.  Traditionally patchwork is a blessing for a baby, mother would made a patchwork duvet using clothes gathered from a varies families, wishing the child will have the blessing from these families.

Tags , , , , , , ,
Categories embroidery, fabric, tribal

Locket

01/01/2012 //
0

L60xD20xH50mm, China

The longevity lock, a tradition for the Chinese babies hundred day celebration, the child will keep it on till his 12th birthday.  The Chinese believes that life will be locked just as a door or a trunk.  In a way its a kind of blessing given to the child by the elders of the family.  Its history started from the Han dynasty, on the 5th of lunar May, every household would hang a 5 colour rope on the door as a blessing against the plague.  By the Jin dynasty, the 5 colour rope would be tied on to the arms of women and the children as a blessing.  The tradition extending into the empirical court in the Han dynasty, the Emperor would  give out the rope to all his ministers on the 5th of lunar May.  The rope became more elaborated by Ming dynasty and became the silver locket we have here.

Tags , , ,
Categories costume, jewellery, metal

Silver Necklace

09/23/2011 //
2

DIA150mm, China

This is silverware gift for the baby’s 100 days birthday, a bit like the silver spoon for the baby shower in the West.  The child mortality rate in old China is very high, it is be believed that the locket would lock the life of the child to the living world.   The pendent is an add on blessing for the child’s success in the future.  The child will keep the necklace on till adulthood.

Tags , , , ,
Categories costume, jewellery, metal
%d bloggers like this: