W120xD130xH140mm, Japan
A small paper drawer for storing accessories, the outside of the box is decorated with Japanese paper. I like the details that is put into the box, the edges of the drawers are covered with a tougher brown paper and metal draw pull just complete the miniature version.
DIA80xH60mm, China
This small wine cup is decorated with all the lucky symbols.
One the outside of the cup, are 5 red BATS circling the word LONGEVITY, next to it is a large green BAT hanging from it are a couple of GOLD COINS. On the inside of the cup, there is a LOTUS leave at the bottom with LOTUS BLOSSOMS on the side.
BAT – the word BAT (蝠 fu) have the same pronunciation as the word (福fu), symbolizing being blessed.
LONGEVITY – needs no further explanation
GOLD COINS – wealth
LOTUS BLOSSOM – the lotus plant grows on muddy ponds, the idea that such beautiful flowers can appear untained by the mud resembles purity
L300xW250xH150mm, Seychelles
A box that is smooth and polished like on the outside and full of texture in the inside. A container that is made out of the shell of the Coco de Mer, the largest seed of any plant in the world.
The first time I heard about Coco de Mer, was through a radio commercial when I was a child. In this cough syrup commercial, the Coco de Mer was referred to as African deep sea coconut, my imagination went wild – an African jungle at the bottom of the ocean where none of the animal would cough. Then when I am older, occasionally I would be told they are in the content of an exotic soup, it is as hard as wood and taste of nothing in particular.
Only in this research did I realized that they are the seed of a palm tree (not a coconut at all) and only exist in thePraslin islands of the Seychelles (not a underwater jungle).
DIA130xH110, DIA120xH90, DIA130xH60mm, Hong Kong
This is my newly completed pottery project, continuing with the Something Old Something New theme and the Lotus Leaf Vessel project. I set out to make containers for these antique coconut lids which were featured on the blog a while back. They are beautifully carved with the word “longevity” and the 8 lucky treasures and on the back are sealed with a lead lid.
The containers are glazed with bronze oxide on the exterior to match with the golden longevity symbol on the lids. They will be perfect for offering sweets and other goodies over the Chinese New Year.
DIA270xH200mm, Hong Kong
A large handmade bowl with inlay of black colour slip.
DIA100xH90mm, China
After the miniature bamboo steamer, we have the miniature medicine pot. Made with a sandy type of clay, this pottery container is identical to the real thing. Unlike the normal teapot the handle and the spout are placed in the same direction which makes pouring easier. The doctor for Chinese medicine normally prescribe for the herbs to be boiled with certain amount of water (e.g. 6 bowls) and to be reduced to a lesser amount (say 1 bowl). It will be hard to judge by time how long the brewing will take and every now and then one will have to pour out the medicine to see if the correct amount has been reached.
DIA340xH120mm, China
Food steaming has become one of the way to a healthier lifestyle; food is cooked at 100c over boiling water killing germs and the add of oil is not essential hence avoiding trans fat. Typically, the steamer would be placed over a wok filled with boiling water, the steam from the water would filled the steamer through the gaps at the bottom, the food would be cooked with all the juices and flavor retained.
It was said that the method was first invented for the Han dynasty army for rejuvenating their dried ration, the steamers can be stacked up to heat up large quantity of food. The elimination of oil used in this method also made the enemy harder to detect the location of the camp. However, with archaeological discovery the steamer seems be have appeared long before, to be as far back as the Zhou dynasty, some 2000 year ago.
Tomb cave painting of the Jin dynasty
Unfortunately, though the method lives on with the high tech electrical steamer, the age of the bamboo steamer is on its last legs, their used to be streets filled with artisan making bamboo steamers, now there is only a couple in the city. It seems like its ancestors, the bronze and the ceramic steamer, the bamboo version is replaced by the stainless steel and the plastic version.
DIA95xH110mm, China
Bamboo is a plant that can be found in most part of China, not only is it a source for food, it is also used from scaffolding for architecture, to delicate weaved containers and nowadays for flooring and even clothing.
This bamboo box, I found is one of those back to the basic ideas. Making use of the culm (the main shaft) and the nodes (the horizontal structure), a container is naturally form, the fibrous culm gives the box its texture.
DIA160mm, China
On the plate is painted 3 generation of scholars, the well learnt elderly man, the established and the scholar to be. Behind them are a selection of scholarly objects and collectibles; scrolls of painting and calligraphy, stationary, books and root sculptures. On the side of the plate is the phrase “knowledge with no cliff”, meaning knowledge is so board that it is like an ocean without an edge.
This phrase is well learnt by most young students, as an encouragement for acquiring knowledge. The phrase came from the late Ming well known writer Zhang Di who was born in a wealthy intellectual family. Well learnt, he indulges in decadent love of beauty; pretty maid, handsome serving boys, fashion, gourmet, elegant horse, glamour, crowds, painting, antiques, etc, etc. The life style and the political situation made him a poor man at later years, he found himself failure in all counts. This however, made his writing all the more powerful.
Mountain Folkcraft 