Archives for posts with tag: flower

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAW410 X H770mm, China

This is a wood block print is a special type of wood block print that is used to decorate the window.

They are divided into 3 categories;
– on the side of the window
– on top of the window
– on the window lattice

Those for the side of the window are generally long, like this one (which is to be cut into 2 long strips).  The theme are mostly of the flower with traditional flower vases.  This particular print features the peony and a variety of fruits and vegetables.

The one that are placed over the window are horizontal and long, an example of this will be featured in tomorrow’s post.

Those placed on the window lattice resembles paper cutouts for the same purpose.

Come to see the actual print and many others at the
New Year Print Exhibition

MOUNTAIN FOLKCRAFT
CHINESE WOOD BLOCK PRINT COLLECTION

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L250xH130xD60mm, China

A golden lacquered wood carving of the blessed symbols.

Flower – Wealth
Pomegranate (right) – Fertility
Books (behind flower) – Intellect
Painting (behind books) – Scholarly
Gu Qin, musical instrument (right of flower) – Peacefulness

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DIA330xH90mm, China

A beautiful lacquer serving dish which I found the colour to be warm and x’mas like, the same feeling as scent of the tangerine peels, the taste of cinnamon, the sound of church bells …

The dish is decorated with peony flowers, peony is also know as the flower of riches and honour 富貴花.  There is a story about peony and the mean Empress Wu Zetian, one snowy winter she summoned all the flowers to blossom for her morning wine party.  The gardeners as well as the plants did their best, going against the natural order they all blossomed in fear of the Empress, all but the peony.  The Empress was extremely upset and forbid peony to stayed in the capital Chang An, it was send to Luoyang. There in Luoyang, the peony blossoms filled the city.  When the Empress heard about the news, she ordered for the peony to be burnt, but under the warm of the heat, it blossomed even more.

Click for more information about the special construction of the dish.

Amongst the unique pottery, you will also find Mountain Folkcraft’s collection at the Cobo Ceramic Workshop X’mas Sale.

COBO CERAMIC WORKSHOP
1/F Fortune Court, 33 Morrison Hill Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

5 – 9 Dec 2014 (Fri – Tue)
13:00-20:00

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAW30xL160mm, China

A delicate stem of porcelain flower.

Continuing from yesterday’s theme, today we have another water plant, the daffodil, (shui xian) 水仙 which literally means the saint of the water.  Behind the name is a love story; in the beginning of Chinese history the mythical Emperor Yao has 2 daughters, Princess E Huang and Nu Ying, they were both married to Emperor Shun.  The three of them were much in love, when Emperor Shun passed away, the two sisters jumped into a river and committee suicide so the three could be together.  The gods were moved by their love and made them into the saints of the water flower.

Amongst the unique pottery, you will also find Mountain Folkcraft’s collection at the Cobo Ceramic Workshop X’mas Sale.

COBO CERAMIC WORKSHOP
1/F Fortune Court, 33 Morrison Hill Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

5 – 9 Dec 2014 (Fri – Tue)
13:00-20:00

 

DishesDIA100xH40mm, China

A pair of peony bowls.

Peony is a flower that has been much appreciated, beyond displaying in gardens.
Its beauty reciprocated in painting, opera and poetry.

Emperor Xuan Gong was with his beloved Lady Yang admiring the peony blossom in the palace garden.  Li Bai was summoned to court to write a poem about the peony.

清平调

雲想衣裳花想容,春風拂檻露華濃。
若非群玉山頭見,會向瑤臺月下逢。

一枝紅豔露凝香,雲雨巫山枉斷腸。
借問漢宮誰得似?可憐飛燕倚新妝。

名花傾國兩相歡,長得君王帶笑看。
解釋春風無限恨,沉香亭北倚闌干。

The poem “Lady Yang” by Li Bai, translation by S. Obata

The glory of trailing clouds is in her garments,
and the radiance of a flower on her face.
O heavenly apparition, found only far above
On the top of the Mountain of Many Jewels,
Or in the fairy Palace of Crystal when the moon is up!
Yet I see her here in the earth’s garden
The spring wind softly sweeps the balustrade,
And the dew-drops glisten thickly …

She is the flowering branch of the peony,
richly-laden with honey dew.
hers is the charm of the vanished fairy,
That broke the heart of the dreamer king
In the old legend of the Cloud and Rain.
Pray, who in the palace of Han
Could be likened unto her,
Save the lady, Flaying Swallow, newly dressed
In all her loveliness?

She stands, leaning against the balustrade
Of Chen Hsiang Ting, the Pavilion of Aloes.
Vanquished are the endless longings of Love
Borne into the heart on the wind of spring
The radiant flower and the flowery queen rejoice together,
For the emperor deigns to watch them ever with a smile.



			

clay toyW100xD80xH150, China

 Today, the 14th Feburary and the 15th day of the Chinese New Year is the meeting of St. Valentine’s day of the Gregorian calendar and the Yuan Xiao (Chinese Valentine’s day) of the lunar calendar.  While there is gift, flower, kissing on St. Valentine’s day, Yuan Xiao is a more subtle affair.  In the past in China, girls are kept at home, out from the sight of the suitors.  On Yuan Xiao, for the final celebration of the Chinese New Year festivity, there will be lantern festival in town, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls are free to attend.  Almost like a high school party, romantic encountering take place.

bowl

square bowlW230xL230mm, China

Begonia shape?  I see no flower but only a squarish bowl, what is this all about?

The begonia shape comes from the outline of the flower, the niches formed by overlapping of the petals are conceptualized.  Gone are the details of the flower, the anther, the stigma and even the petals, what remains in the negative of the flower.  The begonia shape is a popular decorative element and is not restricted to pottery, it expand also to the realm of architecture; doorways, windows, gillworks, pavings, etc.

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.

mirror paintingW320xH420mm, China

A mirror painting of a still life.

Though unintentional by the artist, there is something rather modern about the painting; the lack of shadow, the flatten objects, the solid colour, lack of detail and the sharp outline of the objects.

 Reminded me of Patrick Caulfield’s work.

L210xD170xH80mm, China

The daffodil plant was first recorded in the China’s History of Plants (花史) as a gift from Tang emperor to the sister of his beloved imperial concubine Yang Gui Fei.   The bowls for the imperial gift was of course made of gold, jade and 7 other jewels.  The daffodil bowl we have today is one for the common folks, a ceramic bowl with green glaze from the Shi Wan kiln.

And here is super cute cats with daffodil.

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