Wednesday, November 6, 2024
Tibetan Singing Bowls - Centuries of Resonance
Thursday, May 6, 2021
Chinese Puzzle Ball
Sunday, April 25, 2021
Maitreya And The Laughing Buddha
and put it in the bag across his back. Conversely, whenever he met someone that asked for something, he would give it to them out of the sack. Tradition also says that he was a man of good and loving character, and as such he was linked with the traditions of Maitreya, the future Buddha. Because of his large belly and smile his name is also The Laughing Buddha.
Traditional depiction of Maitreya |
Thursday, April 22, 2021
Chinese Cork Carving
Cork harvesting |
Cork has been used for millennia. Its natural bouyancy has been utilized for flotation devices, fishing equipment, and stoppers for wine bottles. Cork is harvested from a type of evergreen oak tree and is the outer bark of these trees. It is a renewable resource as the trees can live as long as 300 years, with the outer bark being able to be harvested periodically throughout its lifetime. The harvest is done manually so as not to damage the underlayer of the bark because that is the part of the tree that will produce more cork bark. Most cork is produced in Spain and Portugal, with the majority of cork used for stoppers in wine bottles. Although there is a type of cork tree that grows in China, cork carving artisans usually get the material from Europe.
It takes 3 years for an apprentice to learn the art, but the artform was in decline a few years ago in Fuzhou when Chinese exports were curtailed. Now that the market has improved, cork carving has made somewhat of a comeback, although there remains few artists who still do it. Cork carvings are now available from very small objects that are reasonably priced, to pictures that take up an entire wall which are very expensive. Chinese cork carvingSunday, April 11, 2021
Reverse Glass Painting - Centuries Old Art Form
Monday, April 5, 2021
Dragons - Angels Of The East
Saturday, March 27, 2021
Chinese Paper Cuts
The earliest examples of paper cuts date back to the 4th century A.D. in the southern provinces of China. The art form became popular as a decorative item in the homes and palaces of royalty, especially at times of festivals and holidays. The art eventually spread to other parts of the world such as Japan, India, and Jewish culture. The art is different in each country it was produced in, according to traditions and art culture of the country. China is the country with the longest known continuous tradition of paper cutting. In the rural countryside in China paper cutting was traditionally a female activity. But many professional paper cutters are now males that work in shops.
The designs cut into paper are varied. From traditional Chinese decorations like Dragons, Phoenix, Cranes, but the subject matter is only restricted by the paper cutters imagination. Many times the paper cuts are in red paper, but there are also multi-colored cuts made with different colored papers and paint. They are all made with simple hand tools, a very sharp-pointed pair of scissors or a very sharp small knife. The paper is sometimes folded and cut, sometimes cut without folding according to the design. It is an exacting art that takes a deft hand, strong fingers and an imaginative eye.
Chinese Paper Cuts