L180xW100xD20mm, Japan
A neat little gun which loads 3 rounds of elastic shots.
BANG BANG BANG
“I was five and he was six
We rode on horses made of sticks
He wore black and I wore white
He would always win the fight
Bang bang, he shot me down
Bang bang, I hit the ground
Bang bang, that awful sound
Bang bang, my baby shot me down”
W180xD70xH500mm, China
This little guy is the bridegroom in the puppet theater.
This puppet is called a Chaozhou wire puppet, the body of the puppet is supported by a main wire attached to the back of waistline of the puppet while the 2 arms are controlled by 2 wires attached to the waists, hence wire puppet, all the 3 wires are controlled by the puppeteer at the back stage.
The wire puppet is originated from the shadow puppet, it is also known as the Paper Shadow Puppet (through there is no paper and no shadow at all). From the break through from its 2 dimensions into having a round body, a head, then the removal of the paper screen demanding for a more very articulated head and costume. The control of the puppet remained more or less the same as the traditional shadow puppet giving the limitation of the movement of the head and the legs.
Click here to see the insight of wire puppet in today’s world. In the beginning of the movie you will see a man talking in a small construction site to a worker. The worker is one of the puppeteers who have abandon his art to make a more stable living as a masonry worker. The leader of the small puppet theater was trying to lure him to perform again. Despite being one of the national intangible cultural heritage items, it seems that its survival at the moment is only held out by the determination of the artisan. So next time when you see a puppet show please go and give it the support it deserves.
W140xD80xH150mm, Indonesia
With the nasal mucus dripping down, it mask can only belongs to the clown of the mask dance, the bondres. The half mask enable them to tell jokes and engaged in comical dialogues.
Bondres Dukuh is the advisor to King Raja, in the dance he also is the means to broadcast the king’s commands. As a comic Bondres Dukuh is a lame spiritual leader, a bit deaf and blind, his speech are filled with coughs and jokes about betel nut.
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
DIA100xH300mm, Hong Kong + Sumatra, Indonesia
Remember the guri guri potion stopper? It has now completed with a jar!
The jar has been custom made for the stopper.
The figurine belonged to the datu (shaman) of the Batak tribe in Sumatra. Magic guri guri potion would have been kept in the jar, which is the ingredient for magic performed by the datu.
The figurine consists of 2 humans riding on a singa, a mythological creature that is benevolent and powerful, it is described to be part human, part buffalo, part crocodile.
DIA50xH180mm, Japan
Happy 2015!
Apart from being the first day of 2015, today is also the Japanese New Year!
Since the Meiji period Japanese new year has changed from the lunar calendar to the Georgian calendar. Most traditional customs remained the same, mochi, bell ringing and the Daruma doll.
The Daruma is a representation of Bodhidharma, the Buddhist monk who introduced Buddhism to China in the 5th Century, he was also well known for his 9 meditation, gazing onto a wall for 9 years. The Daruma figurine is red figure on top of the pile, slightly rounded at the bottom like Bodhidharma meditating in the red robe. Daruma is believed to bring happiness and prosperity and ward off accidents and misfortune and this blessing is renewed every new year.
The aim of the game is to knock off the 5 colour pieces below the Daruma while keep him upright and not falling over. An upright Daruma at the end of the game would symbolize a success for his meditation and also good luck for the player.
L280xW80xH20mm, China
A cookie mould of – a mushroom, a pomegranate and a fan.
You might find the combination a bit odd;
the mushroom is ganoderma, a type of wood fungi which is believed to give longevity, a saintly plant,
pomegrante, the whole fruit being just seeds is a symbol of fertility,
the fan is a symbol of a scholar, they are often hang on the wall to give a blessing for the family to have a scholar.
So in fact, the three items are a representation of the famous Fu Lu Shou,
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
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
L270xW100xH30mm, China
The pattern for this cookie mould is that of a lotus plant.
The Buddhist believes that the lotus is the purest of plant, it shoot up from the muddy pond but yet it has the ability to keep any dirt from attaching.
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
W40xL80xH110mm, China
This lion riding figue is Wei Chi Gong, a general of the Tang dynasty. Stories of his loyalty and bravery made it to the hearts of the people that he became a protector for the home, prints and figurines were made of him and his partner Qin Qiong.
Legends has it that in the Tang dynasty, the Dragon King had a bet with a fortune teller, this act violated the rules of the heaven and Jade Emperor ordered for the dragon’s execution. The Dragon King pledged with the Tang Emperor and the Emperor agreed to summon the executioner back to court so the dragon could be spare. Unfortunately, the Emperor doses off and missed the hour, the dragon was cut in half and died. The dragon was extremely upset that the promise was broken and its ghost haunted the imperial palace day and night. Wei Chi Gong and Qin Qiong, the two brave generals offered to stand guard at the door of the palace, the dragon ghost was kept at bay. The emperor felt guilty that the pair has to be on guard days and nights because of his own negligence and ordered prints and figurines to be made of the two so to spare them from their task. The fame of the two generals is so powerful that their imagery would be enough to scare away the haunted dragon, since then they were used to guard doors, gateways, bed in the household.
Mountain Folkcraft 