The Chinese art of arranging any area to create harmony and balance between all energy forces to produce peace and prosperity. Meaning “the way of wind (feng) and water (shui)” and also called geomancy its roots are in Taoism and it is still popular as it has spread throughout China to western cultures.
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While most families have had prints or paper-cuts of the Kitchen God (Zao Shen) with or without his wife above their stove, carved images were owned by wealthier families. The Kitchen God is syncretic as a Taoist, Popular Religion and Buddhist tutelary deity, protector of the home who was responsible for making sure there was…
Shiwan stoneware wall pockets were used to hold functional items like flowers and chopsticks and were in most Chinese homes by the late Qing Dynasty. Chopsticks holders were symbols for fertility and traditionally part of a dowry as the word for chopsticks (kuizi) is a pun for ‘speedy arrival of sons’ Perhaps having a two-part…
While most families have had prints or paper-cuts of the Kitchen God (Zao Shen) with or without his wife above their stove, carved images were owned by wealthier families. The Kitchen God is syncretic as a Taoist, Popular Religion and Buddhist tutelary deity, protector of the home who was responsible for making sure there was…
While most families have had prints or paper-cuts of the Kitchen-God (Zao Shen) with or without his wife above their stove, carved images were owned by wealthier families. The Kitchen-God is syncretic as a Taoist, Popular Religion and Buddhist tutelary deity, beloved among house-gods as protector of the home. He observes the family’s behavior and…
Whimsical carvings of fu lions were the most popular mythical animals in Chinese homes, especially during the Ming and Qing dynasties, as free standing statues, designs on furniture, architectural elements and functional pieces in private homes or gardens or on a home altar to bring fu and the blessings to the home. This incredibly cute…
Monks, called Bhikkus, have had a significant role in Buddhism since its inception, and its monasticism is one of the earliest surviving forms of institutional organization of monks in the world. Monks and nuns (Bhikkunis) of local Mahayana Buddhist monastic communities collectively are called the Sangha and are responsible for teaching and preserving the Buddhist principles…
In China and Japan cats are often portrayed as small-teapots that provide individualized tea servings and better retain heat. White porcelain with a clear glaze was often the preferred pottery form for teaware as it was viewed as more elegant. Since Mao (猫), the word for cat, is a homophone for octogenarian, it is a…
Chinese stone weights have been used for millennia as measurement that were standardized with each dynasty. There were also local applications as a non-standardized weight, securing a picnic cloth, keeping a scholar’s calligraphy paper immobile and as a garden accessory. These antique Chinese stone carvings were often auspicious shapes like animals, fruit, and vegetation. During…
Shiwan stoneware wall-pockets “vases” were used as functional items to hold things like flowers and chopsticks and were in most Chinese homes by the late Qing Dynasty. In addition to their usefulness, they reflecting the Chinese belief that having objects with auspicious images fills your home with favorable and optimistic energy (chi). This is very…
Chopsticks holders were symbols for fertility and traditionally part of a dowry in the form of wall-pockets as the word for chopsticks (kuizi) is a Chinese pun for ‘speedy arrival of sons’. The front has the phrase baizi qiansun (“a hundred sons and a thousand grandsons), an upside-down bat (fu) holding a coin surrounded by…
Decorative utilitarian Shiwan ware pieces are recognized for their fine modeling, vivid expression, and colorful apple-green and drip glazes. Chopsticks were commonly stored in wall pockets with a hole for mounting. Covered with auspicious symbols, they were often part of a bride’s dowry as “chopsticks” is a pun for “speedy arrival of sons.” It can hold utensils, dried flowers, and other objects and is a unique wedding gift.
The Kitchen God (Zao Shen) was and still is among the most important Chinese house gods. Traditionally every family had its own Kitchen God with or without his wife above the stove to reflect his and its central position in the family’s life. The Kitchen God is both a syncretic and a tutelary deity embraced…
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