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A hsun ok is a graceful, lidded lacquer vessel used in Theravada Buddhism in Burma/Myanmar by devotees to carry offerings for monks to monasteries or temples to “make merit” toward Buddhist enlightenment. Filled with items such as rice, fruit, boiled eggs, and other gifts, they are traditionally carried by women who place them in altars…
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…
No other region has produced the quantity, quality and diversity as the Christian crosses from the Ethiopian Highlands in Africa, an area renowned for its unique African art and metalwork. The uniqueness of Ethiopian Crosses reflects influences of many ancient civilizations: Coptic, Celtic, Egyptian, Byzantine, Greek, and Roman. Ethiopia was the second country to make…
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 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…
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…
This image from Guandong wears typical Taoist priest or shaman attire – an undergarment crossed at the neck, an overcoat clasped at the waist and a double-winged high hat centered with an image of a taotie. The taotie is a mystical animal sometimes on the hat of Taoist priests or shamans as a guardian or…
The end of Guandi’s name (di) is significant, as Chinese names ending with di refer to an imperial cult and their canonized status. A military general late in the Han dynasty who died in 220AD, he was deified during the MIng in 1594 and was declared The God of War and Justice and Protector of…
Chinese belt hooks were worn with the hook end on the wearer’s left and fastened to clothing with a button like bronze piece fixed to the belt’s end. Initially only functional, metalwork belt hooks became a symbol of wealth, high status and power by the Han Dynasty. They were made using a variety of materials…
Fu lions are auspicious mythical animals used as decorative motifs on accessories, furnishings, architectural structures and as free-standing inside and outdoor figures s. Carved red and gilt lacquered lions appeared everywhere as auspicious symbols of protection, harmony, fu (the Five Blessings or Happinesses) and high rank. Based on the cut-outs underneath, this pair of antique …
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…
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