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After the Qing dynasty fell in 1912 and was replaced with the Chinese Republic, porcelain production declined in imperial kilns but was revived in Southern China’s Jiangxi Province which made high-quality finely designed porcelains in private kilns. With few restraints, they produced more colorful pieces with unique Western shapes and styles. This small Republic porcelain…
Most ethnic Luristan (Lorestan) Iron Age bronzes were small items found in the the Zagros Mountains valleys in Lorestan Province, Western Iran. Other items found included tools, small vessels and horse-fittings, many buried with the deceased as ancestral pieces for use in their afterlife. Although their origin is not certain, they were likely Persians related to…
This extraordinary rare piece is a special Chinese Popular Religion image of a Buddhist bodhisattva seated atop a round lotus throne with five arched and pointed petals atop a recumbent ox. It is a variant of Guanyin sitting in a typical posture with one leg up and the other bent in the position of royal…
This rare and beautiful cadence drum was used in a Chinese temple to help monks and chanters think about the meaning of the texts they recite. Carved fish scales and two fish heads embrace a pearl carved on the handle to symbolize unanimity and accord. The fish pair is similar to the popular pair of…
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…
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…
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,…
A potlatch means “to give away” or “a gift” and is a traditional feast central to many cultures of indigenous peoples of the Canadian Pacific Northwest Coast including the Haida tribe who have existed for over 17,000 years and currently inhabit Northern British Columbia, Pacific Northwest United States, and Southeast Alaska. Its main purpose is…
Made by Nkutshu (Nkutsu) or Jonga metal smiths who traditionally had a monopoly as gong makers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire) in Central-Africa, many traditional African-metalwork items like this had multiple uses. They are an example of fine Tribal-art used in Africa as ritual and ceremonial instruments, a mark of status…
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