Quenching the Soul – Indonesian Kendi Water Vessels
To honor the sacredness of water in Indonesia, rituals vessels called kendi have been used for centuries. Some are designed with symbolic motifs for good fortune, fertility and…
Journal
Peoples, deities and the objects they made: notes on the cultures behind the collection.
Now Trending: Blue and White – The Use of Indigo in Contemporary Interiors
Throughout history, indigo was, until quite recently, the only quality blue dye available in the world. Its production, however, was no easy feat and blue dyed textiles were…
Insect Dreams – Collecting Bugs and Butterflies
From towering canyons to the smallest insects, some of the world’s greatest artworks can arguably be found in nature. Insect collections have been a form of study and…
Appreciating Buddhist Art: Part Two – Dhyani Buddhas
The Dhyani Buddhas are the five qualities of the Buddha and the enlightened consciousness. Each is represented by different colors, hand postures called mudra, and positions in the…
Bamileke Lion Stool
The Bamileke people designate stools depicting lions strictly for the Fon, or cheif. There is a Bamileke saying that states, ‘Only the chief sits on the lion.
Hiss, Crack…KaBoom! – History of Chinese Fireworks
A thousand years ago, fireworks were not yet brilliant bursts of color in the night sky used for entertainment and celebration. In China, the first ‘fire cracker’ was…
Phurba, Kila or Ritual Blade
Phurbas are ceremonial tools to dispel evil. Phurbas are adorned with symbols to amplify this purpose – at the center of the Phurba is a symbol of spiritual…
Pre-Columbian Coclé Pottery
Gran Coclé is an archaeological culture area in pre-Columbian Central America coinciding with the modern-day Panamanian province of Coclé. It consisted of a number of identifiable native cultures,…
Tibetan Monastery Cabinet Depicting Mahakala
It can be said with certainty this cabinet was used in a monastery because of the depiction of the deity Mahakala on the two door faces. Mahakala is…
Tibetan Torgam or Chosum Altar Cabinet
This Tibetan torgam or chosum altar cabinet is estimated to be in excess of 200 years old. It is part of a particular class of cabinets called torgam,…