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Slipper

02/13/2014 //
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slippers

European Size 38, China

The first record of slipper in China were found in the Nan Song Dynasty 1200 AD, not invention but in a travel log for a visit to India, a pair of shoes with open heel must be a novelty to the ambassador. It is recorded in detail that there are 2 types; one type is probably the ancestor of flip flop (the paduka), it has a leather sole and a tiny bone in the middle,  one would wear it with the tiny bone in between the toes.  The second type has a red leather strap that run around the sole of the slipper (who anyone know what is this other type that the traveller has seen/).

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Categories costume, fabric

Festive Embroidery

02/07/2014 //
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W1070xH1180mm, China

A wall hanger embroidery, use for festivities such as birthday for the elders or for new born babies.

The embroidery is full of well wishes;

Blossom of the Four Season Flowers – (Narcissus, Lotus, Chrysanthemum, Plum) representing good fortune all year round.
Dragon & Phoenix – (Dragon a concept of mammals, fish and reptiles while the phoenix of the birds) the combination of the dragon and the phoenix is the totality, the perfect match.
Kirin Delivery of a Baby Boy – (legend of how Confucius was born) and of course every parents would like to have a son as smart as Confucius.
Ru Yi and the Birthday Peach – (man on a horse was holding a scepter and a birthday peach).  The birthday peach representing longevity while the decorative scepter has the name of “as you wish”.

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Categories embroidery, fabric

Tiger Biker Head Wrap

01/30/2014 //
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 tiger hatHong Kong

For the Chinese New Year, it is common for the parents to make tiger theme costume for their children.  We have incorporated the tiger pattern with the biker’s head wrap which make it more fashionable for teenager and adults alike.

Tiger is admired for its strength and bravery, it is believe that not only will the tiger protect the children but they will also grow up to be as strong as the tiger.

tiger hat

See our our tiger items.
Original tiger hats are also available.

We will like to take this opportunity to wish you a happy Chinese New Year!

Kung Kei Fat Choy!

The shop will be closed during the festival and reopen again on 4th February (Tue) Chinese New Year day 5.

 

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Categories costume, fabric

Miao Patchwork

01/17/2014 //
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patchworkW820xL130mm, China

This is a section of a patchwork from the Miao tribe.  I find the creatures on the patchwork processing a lot charm, as this is handmade even if they are the same kind, are different.  This simple beauty is already hard to find in the digital age.

On this patchwork there are flowers, butterfly, fish, birds and dragons.  The Miao believes that creatures are interchangeable; a man can become a dragon and vice versa, fish butterfly, flowers and bird can also turn into dragon.  Recorded in one of the ancient songs, the butterfly has 12 sons, they had a fight and the water dragon was chased away.  He escaped through the waterways and into the ocean, then he realised he has forgotten to bring his money!  The fish surrounded his and offered him the money and he was able to become the king of the ocean.  There used to be a lot of these ancient songs which get passed down by mouth through generations, sadly only 12 songs were left.

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Categories fabric, tribal

Hand Woven Fabric

01/02/2014 //
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Textile Width 380mm, China

Hand weaving used to be a traditional household craft for the minority tribes in China, the females would spend their passtime weaving fabric for the use of the family.  During these times, not only would the mother would be passing the technique to her girls, it is also a social gathering for the family.

However, with the industrial development of China, it is much easier to buy ready made clothes instead of starting from making a piece of yarn.  For the younger generation, the prospect is also brighter to work in a factory in a city than farming in the village.  Time has changed, social gathering happens in front of the telly or with the mobile.

This hand woven fabric from our collection is sadly becoming past of history.

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Categories fabric

Du Dou Embroidery

10/02/2013 //
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embroidery

DIA190mm, China

This embroidery is taken from a traditional Chinese under garment, the du dou, a garment that is made by the mother for the child as an extension of love and blessing.  The design of this embroidery showed the well wishes of the mother, the hope that her child would become a zhuang yuan, the scholar who came first in the official examination.  Since the Siu dynasty, the imperial court has set up a system of examination to find the best scholar to take up an imperial post.  This is perhaps the only way to promote one’s status in a hereditary society.

In the embroidery, there is the zhuang yuan holding a bamboo while stepping on head of the Ao fish.  獨占鰲頭, occupying the head of the so fish alone, is a symbol of being the zhuang yuan for during the ceremony with the emperor the zhuang yuan will be standing on the head of a stone carving of the ao fish.

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Categories costume, embroidery, fabric

Hand Woven Stripes

09/26/2013 //
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stirpes

Textile Width 450mm, China

Fancy a striped shirt made with hand woven cloth?

Before that some stripes illusion.

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Categories fabric, tribal

Weaving Shuttles

09/25/2013 //
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weaving shuttles

L400xW70xH60mm, China

 These are a pair of wooden shuttles for the hand loom.

Anyone interested in weaving and other Chinese craftwork should watch out for the workshop organized by the Jin Ze Arts Centre,  a not-for-profit art and craft organization aimed at the preservation and promotion of the fine tradition of Chinese craftsmanship by fostering exchanges of ideas and techniques between practitioners of traditional crafts and contemporary designers via innovative approaches.

Here is a weaving workshop held last March, wish I was there!

https://www.facebook.com/JinZeArtsCentre

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Categories fabric, tools, wood

Tie Dye

08/06/2013 //
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Tie DyeTextile Width 1140mm

This is a piece of tie dye fabric, the folds created by the tie is still visible on the cloth, like the sketch mark on a drawing.  For me, these marks of process are very subtle and touching.  There is a sense of human creativity verse the now computer aided design products.

To see the making of tie dye fabric click here.

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Categories fabric

Cotton Car – Artistic Tote Bags

07/15/2013 //
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cotton car 1cotton car 4

W300xL460mm, Hong Kong

These beautiful tote bags are the creation of CottonCar for her collaboration with Soil.

An imaginative use of our fabric with a contemporary design.

Available @ Pop-Up Bookshop Gallery @ Fringe Vault

cotton car 7

cotton car 8

W300xL400mm

cotton car 9cotton car 10

W310xL400mm

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Categories container, costume, fabric, Mountain Folkcraft X Soil
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