W40xD60xH60mm, China
How can we have a bird feeder without a bird? This is a pottery bird whistle toy with a beautiful green glaze.
Archives for posts with tag: chinese
DIA40xH30mm, China
This tiny blue and white porcelain bowl is used for feeding the pet bird, the wooden detail on the side make it able to be attached to the bamboo bird cage (click to see). The traditional bird feed includes; millet, crushed corn, peanut, sorghum, fruits, sunflower seed, perilla seed, mazi, foxtail millet.
W220xH440mm, China
The fan the matchmaker was holding is made from the leave of a palm tree, this instead is a goose feather fan and its most famous owner is no other than Zhu Ge Liang, the strategist of the San Guo period around 200AD. Zhu Ge Liang is also known as Kong Ming, not only is he good at military strategy, he is also an inventor and literati, a symbol of intellect (apparently he is real handsome too). Zhu Ge Liang, despite of the seasonal change, is never without his fan, they are almost inseparable from this gift from his wife. Once upon a time there is a literati called Huang Cheng Yan, he has a beautiful daughter, to keep her safe from the men around, he named her ugly and she her to learn all sorts of martial arts. When she completed the martial art apprenticeship her master gave her a goose feather fan. On the fan is the word Ming and Liang and strategic military plans, her master told her the future husband will have the word Ming and Liang (shiny) in his name. She married Zhu Ge Liang and gave him the fan as a present, he then had it everywhere he goes, even going with it to war. It seems the fan is not only representing the love between the couple but a bible for military strategy.
W120xD100xH200mm, China
In the old days when free love was forbidden in China, all marriage proposals has to go through a matchmaker. Even when the couples are already in love with each other, one would still have to go through a matchmaker in order to make the marriage a proper one. The job of the matchmaker seems to be only opened to woman, apart from the proposing, they are also responsible for presenting the information of both families. In order to make the deal, the positive points are often emphasised and the weakness carefully put. Acting as the communicator for both families, she is also the co-ordinator, MC, organiser for the wedding.
The head of the figurine nods and the body wobbles resembling the matchmaker lady saying all the goodness about the marriage. The fan, of course, is the essential tool for the matchmaker, making sure everyone would stay cool during the big day.
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.
L130xW50xH150mm, China
This is not a figurine on a merry go round but in fact a warrior at war. The themes of golden lacquered wood carving are usually based on stories in Chinese operas. This figurine is most probably from a decorative wall hangers depicting the fighting scene.
DIA80xW120xH120, China
This is a container for the oil used for the oil lamp. A very common item in the old days when oil lamp is the only form of lighting for the common people. In China, the fuel used for the lamps would be tung oil – oil obtained from the seed of the tung tree (Vernicia Fordii). During the second world war when food is scarce, dishonest merchants would sell cooking oil mixed with tung oil. As the two oil have different density, the cooking oil would be floated on top, once the thin layer of oil is used, the customers will discover they have in fact paid a premium for the cheap tung oil. Worse of all the food cooked would be spoiled and everyone would get an upset tummy. :(
H230xW200mm, China
To start the black friday weekend here is a wood block print of the wine god. Du Kang is believed to be the person who have discovered brewing wine in China and is known as the wine god. Another person Liu Ling is said to be the wine saint, he is one of the 7 bamboo forest intellectuals who is so obsessed with drinking that he will always has a wine cup with him. There is story of the wine god and the wine saint, it goes something like this … Once upon a time, Du Kang has opened a wine bar in the small town of Bai Shiu Kang Jia, one day Liu Ling happened to walk pass, outside of the bar was the words “one cup will make a fierce tiger drunk for a year in the mountain, two jars will make a dragon sleep in the deep sea, if you are not drunk you can drink for three years for free”. The mighty drinker Liu Ling laughed at the sign and decided to give it a try, what kind of wine has he not tasted before he thought. Du Kang served the wine and drank with Liu Ling, after 3 cups Liu Ling could only felt the world spin around him. He stumbled back home and stayed drunk for 3 years. After 3 years, Du Kang went to collect the money for the wine and was told that Liu Ling has passed away 3 years ago! The wife of Liu Ling was upset with Du Kang and wanted to take him to court, Du Kang explained that her husband is only drunk and the wine did not kill him. They open up his grave to find him sobering up, the first thing he said was “what good wine it was!”. The story is beautiful but in fact made up, as Du Kang was from the Shan dynasty (1000 BC) and Liu Ling was from Jin dynasty (300AD) … probably a story formulated after a glass or two …
DIA40xH200mm, China
Ever wonder how to clean the cast iron wok? Here is a Chiu Shu, Chiu anything related to cooking while Shu is the plant sorghum. The hair of the brush is indeed made with the tip of the sorghum stalk. In China the gain of the plant is most famously use to made into a strong wine.
W100xD50xH130mm, China
This is no Easter bunny but the famous Lord Rabbit. It is a toy for the Mid Autumn (full moon) festival in the Beijing area. The Lord Rabbit figurine first appeared in the late Ming dynasty, it was mainly used for worshipping by the younger generations. It is believed that Chang E, the moon goddess, has a pet rabbit who is whiter than white jade as he was named as the Jade Rabbit. The Jade Rabbit was specialised in preparing the medicine (you might have seen images of him stirring the medicinal pot on the moon). Jade Rabbit worshipping has then been taken into moon worship and since rabbit has been kept as a household pet, out of respect for the Jade Rabbit god he was worshipped as the Lord Rabbit. By Qing dynasty Lord Rabbit has turned into a toy for the Mid Autumn festival. The folk story goes; once Beijing was infected by plague, almost all the household got sick, the moon goddess was sadden by the news and sent the Jade Rabbit to help cure the capital. At each household he healed he would turned down any gifts but instead borrow a new set of clothing. With the new clothing he would assume a different image for the next household, sometimes a female, sometimes a general etc. He would also take on different animals for transportation; a deer, a tiger, a horse etc., hence there are many different versions of his figurines.
Mountain Folkcraft 