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Families often commissioned ancestor statues in the likeness of a civil or military official as these images conveyed the wish for a rise in rank or the aspiration to become an official as well as admiration for the integrity, endurance and perseverance associated with status as an official. This ancestor statue is a Chinese official…
Buddhist and Taoist deities were often placed on a home altar accompanied by a pair of attendants, one on each side, looking downward with modesty or inward with respect. Taoist attendants often carried unique offerings such as medicinal gourds/potions or pillboxes for medicine gods or baskets or sacks of gold and silver blocks for wealth…
During the Ming and Qing dynasties small pairs of fu lions were very popular for use in private homes and outside as protective figures or in gardens. In the Buddhist tradition, they were portrayed as more friendly than fierce with their open mouths displaying sharp teeth but in a fanciful pose. They are a reminder that…
Heddle pulleys were used in strip-weaving, a small-loom process producing long cloth strips sewn together creating a larger textile such as blankets and ritual cloths. A source of pride for the carver, heddles were decorated with carved figures or animals symbolizing auspicious beings scholars believe protect the weavers and assure their weavings were of good…
Burmese carvings are known for fine craftsmanship, masterful decoration, and functional items including carved heddle pulleys used in strip-weaving. In pairs at the top of the loom, heddles are functional and aesthetic and usually were decorated with auspicious images symbolizing figures or animals protecting the weaver and assured good quality weaving that pleased the gods…
The peacock is very significant in Buddhism, especially the Theravada Buddhism practiced in Burma. It is one of 108 images on the Buddha’s footprint and reflects the short-lived nature of all things, since it appears and vanishes as swiftly as it displays and furls its tail. It is believed that peacocks can eat poisonous plants…
Mazu has been one of the most popular Taoist-deities in southeastern coastal China since the early Song dynasty, a syncretic goddess revered by followers of Buddhism and Popular Religion and one of the Great Chinese Goddesses (Irvin). Mazu was a legendary young female shaman named Lin Mo who used her powers to save seafarers and…
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…
Known as Budai in China and Hotei in Japan, Budai is one of the most famous Mahayana deities, called Mi Lo Fo, the Loving or Friendly One. Known as the Laughing, Happy, or Fat Buddha in the West, he is a symbol of contentment, happiness, good luck, and plentitude. With a loving character and benevolent…
Puppet theatre has traditionally assumed a major role in Chinese religious rituals and honoring major life and historical events. Local productions with beautifully carved puppets, music, drama and costumes instilled societal and cultural values as well as providing entertainment to audiences of all ages and educating provincial ones. This head has a typical tapering shaft…
The Queen Mother of the West is one of the most significant of the female Taoist-deities and as a syncretic deity, has a huge Popular Religion and Buddhist cult following. She is one of the Great Chinese Goddesses and patron deity of women who controls life and death, creation and destruction and determines the life…
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