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This special and important carving of Joseph with the Christ child from Kerala reflects a blend of Portuguese and European traditions with the indigenous traditions of South India. Christian missionaries built churches in Kerala from 1510 (St. Francis Church in Kochi) through the18th century and brought with them European carvings, paintings, and other large and…
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…
Yixing stoneware teapots are praised as the best in the world for tea infusion. This gorgeous, extremely rare antique teapot with tight-fitting lid and elegant spout is finely decorated with a brown wash and hand applied bright painted enamel designs designs of a scene from the Peking opera Romance of Three Kingdoms. The floral images are a wish for a long and healthy life, perfect metaphors for those sharing a fresh pot of tea with those they love. Kiln seals are impressed in the body, bottom and lid.
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….
This remarkable figurine is Guanyin on her mythical mount, the Hǒu, guardian master of the universe and model for righteousness and morality who symbolizes bringing forth peace and prosperity.The round orb in its mouth representing a pearl can be rubbed for good luck. It is one of our most unique and favorite Buddhist statues, mounted on a frosted Acrylic stand.
This earthenware brick tile bordered with a deep scalloped frame depicts a vase with a bouquet of propitious flowers: a chrysanthemum and a peony wrapped with an elegant ribbon. Tiles like this were made to decorate the large numbers of buildings created during the prosperous Song dynasty and to adorn tombs. This elegant brick is in good condition for its age with expected chips and cracks, some restoration of background and a re-glued frame break on each side. It has earth adherents from its burial in a tomb.
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…
This Guanyin image was probably one of a pair of images along with the Taoist Queen Mother of the West (16206A-WACK) placed together on a community, local temple or home altar. Created by the same local artisan, they are provincial rather than imperial style having a humble, unadorned and simple rendering, seated on backless thrones, hands covered by a ritual cloth, uncharacteristic of Guanyin but common for Taoist goddesses. Both wear layered robes and a high pointed crown – the Queen Mother’s centered by a phoenix and Guanyin’s by a flower surrounded by symbolic aureole of radiating light. Both have soft blissful smiles with eyes cast slightly downwards to engage their devotees. Initially covered in bright polychrome colors, there are traces of surviving red, yellow, green, brown and black.
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.
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…
This Queen Mother of the West, the highest ranking female Taoist deity was probably displayed as a pair along a statue of Guanyin, the most significant Buddhism female (Guanyin on a Lotus Pedestal (16206B) highlighting the importance and similarity of these revered female images Like the Guanyin, the Queen Mother’s delicately carved face has half closed eyes, serene composure mouth with a hint of a smile, which is more Buddhist than Taoist. Her headdress, centered by her iconic phoenix, rests under a hood extending to her shoulders and back. She wears a high collared three-layered Taoist robe, her hands covered by a ritual cloth.
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