Archives for posts with tag: dan

Shadow Puppet

01/06/2014 //
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Shadow PuppetW200xH600mm, Indonesia

This shadow puppet came from a set we acquire from Indonesia,  curiously the contained Indonesian characters as well as Chinese ones.  Like this particular puppet, the head gear, the costume, the bounded feet, the facial features all points to a Chinese diva.  I wonder if the set of shadow puppets were commissioned by a Chinese immigrant in Indonesia who is a bit home sick for Chinese shadow puppet.  It became a fusion of the two, just as today’s wayang kilt some of which has departed from the traditional story of the Ramayana to include everyday events such as karaoke.

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Categories figurine, leather / feather, puppet

Kui Xing – 魁

12/06/2012 //
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Kui XingW250xD250xH500mm, China

This is a figurine of the Kui Xing, unlike the one posted earlier, this figurine has a more popular composition; its left leg is kicking backward in the air.  This composition is inspired by the word 魁 (the Chinese word for “Kui”).  Can you see the resemblance?

魁, on the left is the word 鬼 (ghost) and the left 斗 (dou – traditional Chinese unit for volume, where 1 dan = 10 dou).  The word 鬼 (ghost) reflect the appearance of Kui Xing, a talented scholar who was born with a face so slightly that he looked like a ghost .  The word  斗 (dou),  goes back to phrase 才高八斗 which is a praise for someone’s intellect, if the intellect in the world is measured to be 1 dan, someone who has 8 dou of the world intellect who be a genius.  Dou therefore became a measurement of intellect as well as for wine.

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Categories figurine, wood

Flagon

08/22/2012 //
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DIA180xH270mm, China

The Chinese started making wine some 5000 years ago and the container developed from bronze to lacquer, then to clay and porcelain.  This blue and white porcelain is one that is used by regular folks, this kind of flagon are bold in form and in the pattern different from the usual blue and white porcelain ware.

The traditional Chinese unit for alcohol are measure in sheng, dou, dan.
1 dan = 10 dou
1 dou = 10 sheng
1 dou = app. 6000ml

This flagon holds about 2 dou.

If you can also hold 2 dou of Chinese wine, check our the Wine God wood block print!

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Categories container, pottery
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