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This statue reflects the Tantric Buddhism (Vajrayana or Esoteric) tradition involving mystical concepts and practices, elaborate rituals and a strong hierarchical structure that departs from mainstream Buddhism. Many Chinese Buddhist, Taoist and Tantric deities are either very difficult to identify or are confused with other divinities, as they are sometimes presented without identifying attributes or…
The enamel painted designs on the front of this Yixing teapot have recognizable symbols relating to a wish for long and healthy life. This scene from the Peking opera Romance of Three Kingdoms romanticizes historical Han dynasty Three Kingdoms period events and includes symbolic images of the two bowing men on the left holding brooms…
Balinese carvings and masks are ethnic folk art and a blend of Hinduism and its initial animism. Most masks made in Bali are from pulai wood that rarely cracks and is easier to carve. As it is not native to Lombok, carvers there use a variety of woods some of which were dense with others light….
During the Song Dynasty earthenware unglazed brick tiles made using a mould were produced to decorate inner chamber walls of tombs and government and public buildings. Used as funerary decorations to wish the deceased happiness and comfort in their afterlife, these Song Brick Tiles are another example of a mingqi ancestral item. Without knowledge of…
Ink is produced in hard sticks in China and is ground up on an inkstone with the addition of water. Along with paper, ink stones, and brushes, ink is regarded as one of the Four Treasures of Literary Study which were part of scholar’s accouterments (Welch, p. 264). Red ink is used for Chinese chops…
This Nanhai Guanyin (Guanyin of the South Sea) sits in her cave on Putuo island in the South China Sea with most of her traditional features. She is portrayed as White Hooded or Clad Guanyin with her hair in a bun covered with a short hood seated in royal ease (lalitsana) with her right hand…
Although most famous for Christian burials, people of all religions were interred in the catacombs due to a shortage of land and demand for burial space after a switch from cremations to underground burials in the 2nd century A.D. Roman made closed earthenware terracotta lamps became the dominant oil lamp style in the Roman world…
Antique hand-crafted kitchen-accessories and tools and other objects such as coconut cutters are examples of the artistic skills of Thai carvers to transform functional and utilitarian objects into attractive decorative pieces. Coconuts are ubiquitous in Thailand, used for all aspects of Thai life: coconut milk and meat are staples in traditional Thai dishes and are…
Irvin identifies Guanyin and the Queen-Mother of the West as two of three of the Great Chinese Goddesses, all who were imperially sanctioned and revered by all sectors of society with small local shrines, large temples and monasteries dedicated to them. They are syncretic deities embraced by Popular Folk Religion, Taoism and Buddhism, share the…
This fine rare Ming/Qing carving depicts Shakyamuni Buddha in meditation is made from fine dense wood with much of its iridescent pigmentation. He is masterfully carved with a serene, benevolent and pensive expression wearing plain but elegantly carved monks robes. This spiritual piece is a small yet very powerful image.
The Mid Autumn Moon Festival, also called the Mooncake Festival, is the 2nd most important holiday after the Chinese New Year, celebrated when the full moon is at its brightest point on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar. It is a time for multi-generational gatherings when families dine together in harmony,…
One of the most popular Mahayana Pure Land Buddhism depictions of Guanyin, especially during the Ming and Qing dynasties, is Nanhai Guanyin shown here symbolically on a stylized rocky outcrop at her cave at Putuo in meditation (dhyana), legs in padmasana under her robes, flanked by twisted columns one topped by a vial placed on…
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