Retaining Title – The Provenance of Antique Chinese Furniture
The dictionary definition of provenance simply states it is the history of ownership of art and antiques; but this concept, while it can be used to gauge the…
Journal
Peoples, deities and the objects they made: notes on the cultures behind the collection.
365 Memorial Days per Year – Ancestor Worship Around the World
Ancestor worship is a religious practice based on the belief that deceased family members have a continued existence, that the spirits of deceased ancestors will look after the…
Nature’s Alchemy – Petrified Wood
The word ‘petrify’ comes from the Latin term petra, meaning to ‘become stone.’ While the mythological Medusa can turn anyone who meets her eyes into stone in a…
Exercising Feminine Power – Maternity Figures in Traditional African Art
In traditional African art, which generally refers to the art of sub-Saharan Africa, the concept of motherhood and maternity is a theme surfacing in just about every tribal…
Antique Chinese Furniture – A Quick Primer
The golden age of furniture making came to an end with the decline of the Qing dynasty. This dynasty produced some of the finest examples of antique Chinese…
Indonesian Buddhas – A Legacy in Stone
The original Buddha, Sakyamuni Gautama, or Gautama Siddhartha, was born in India in the 6th-5th century BCE. Born into a noble family, he left his privileged life to…
Symbolic Stone – Indian Temple Ornamentation
As one would expect from any ancient culture, over time India has developed an exceptionally rich architectural heritage. This is evident in famous structures such as the Taj…
Certified Authentic – The True Nature of Authenticity
In selling distinctive collectibles, art and furnishings from all over the world – both antique and contemporary – the question of authenticity inevitably arises. Historically, at PRIMITIVE, our…
Indian Bronze Pilgrimage Statues
The history of bronze metal casting in India and Nepal goes back thousands of years and is shrouded in the mist of antiquity. Originally, miniature images of Hindu…
Lost in the Depths – Tantric Lingams from the Narmada River
Tantric lingams, also called Banalinga, can only be found at the bottom of the Narmada River in India. Considered one of the seven holy rivers, the Narmada and…