As defined by the International Museum of Folk Art, folk art encompasses a broad range of forms – dance, song, poetry, and foods as well as art. It is handmade; traditional, reflecting shared cultural aesthetics and social issues which may change over time; and is of, by and for the people inclusive of class, status, culture, ethnicity, gender, and religion. It may be for community use or for sale as income or empowerment; learned formally, informally, or self-taught. It can be decorative or utilitarian used for daily, ritual or ceremonial purposes.
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Nagas are powerful folk art serpents similar to dragons who live in the underworld or in waters, move through the earth as if it were water or fly through the heavens. Often described as a half-serpent, half-human, these semi-divine mythical animals have a past in animism and were object of rituals, worship and devotion as a…
Nandi is among the most frequent Hindu deities worshiped in public places, temples, homes, or on a home altar throughout India. As one of Hinduism’s mythical animals, Nandi is Shiva’s vahana, (his mount that transports him), attendant and leader of his attendants and guardian of all four-footed animals. A recumbent image of Nandi on a…
In India, as other Asian countries, Hindu children were given votive objects and carvings as dolls representing murti (deities), legendary heroes, and myths to entertain, educate, and reinforce pride in their heritage and religion. This Indian folk-art carving is a Devi, the Sanskrit word for goddess meaning heavenly, divine, and a thing of excellence. Carved…
Peacocks have a long and glorious history in India. They are part of Hindu epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata and the Rigveda, India’s oldest sacred Sanskrit text. A Sanskrit verse claims “The gorgeous peacock is the glory of God.” Peacocks are intertwined with many Hindu deities: they are the vehicles (vahana) of Kartikeya the…
This framed glass folk-art painting of Krishna, the Hindu god of compassion, protection and love, was once inset as a front panel along with the Peacock Panel (3983MCE) in a decorative antique Indian cabinet or chest. In Hinduism when the world is threatened with evil, chaos or destructive forces, Vishnu descends to earth as one…
This exceptional polychrome mask (topeng in Java, tapel in Bali) of Jatayu blends Balinese ethnic and folk-art with Hindu cultural traditions. Indonesia was part of the larger Hindu Majapahit Empire (1293-1527), is now a Muslim majority but Bali remains mostly Hindu. Balinese masks are often made from a single piece of local pulai wood whose…
While most families have had prints or paper-cuts of the Kitchen-God with or without his wife above their stove, carved wood images with a lacquer coating tended to be owned by wealthier families. The Kitchen God is syncretic as a Taoist, Popular Religion and Buddhist tutelary deity who protects the home and its inhabitants, observes…
Balinese masks (tapel in Balinese, topeng in Java), are said to have existed since the 10th century and often are danced in sacred Hindu stories with important moral, ethical, historical and philosophical ideas, This is especially true as many come from ancient Hindu texts like ancient epics the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Babad Dalem, the…
In Bali, Indonesia, Hindu villages have a sacred collection of woodcarvings in the form of Balinese masks (topeng) danced as offerings to the gods with a gamelan percussion orchestra. Balinese dance masks are endowed with magic (tenget) ), especially. the 2 central to Balinese mythology, culture and their past of animism:Â Rangda and Barong. Barong…
The rare antique tribal silver amulet depicts the Hindu Gods Ganesh and his consort Parvati. Ganesh removes obstacles, brings fortune, wears a crown and joyfully holds up his trunk. His large elephant head and ears symbolize knowledge through listening and reflection and his four arms symbolize the four aspects of Hinduism, the four Vedas (ancient…
This antique hard wood mold was hung it in a kitchen, the center of activity of the Chinese home. Virtually all homes had a confection-mold to prepare sweetmeats made by placing pastry dough with various fillings in the mold and turning it over on a sheet to be baked. Many were used to make mooncakes…
We cannot precisely identify this pair but the seller said the costume details were of opera figures which were extremely popular during the Qing dynasty until it ended. Beautifully carved from a very dense hardwood, the figure and wife sit on a 3 level pedestals with long back supports. Clearly an official with a deeply…
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