The Power of Belief – Altars and Altar Objects
This post describes the purpose of the Altar, and it’s use by humans to as a sacred space where the living world can touch the divine.
Journal
Peoples, deities and the objects they made: notes on the cultures behind the collection.
Buddha Room Paintings – The 12 Stages of Buddha’s Life
This blog explains paintings illustrating the 12 stages of Buddha’s Life, also known as the 12 Deeds, as seen only in the Buddha Room at Primitive, Chicago.
Ancient Animals – Symbolism of Chinese Mythological Creatures
This blog deals with the symbolism of ancient Chinese mythological creatures as they have been illustrated in a multitude of Chinese arts.
Molten Magic – A Brief History of Glass
In the year 14 BCE a young Phoenician named Pelles celebrated his 19th birthday just like he spent most days – working in his father’s glass studio on…
Painting upon the Floor – Chinese Baotou Rugs
What comes to mind when you think of traditional Chinese art? Is it porcelain, calligraphy, scholar’s rocks or jade carvings? A category of artwork all too often overlooked…
Behind the Scenes – The Making of Japanese Calligraphy
Considering the history of written languages throughout the world, Japan was fairly late in the game compared to other cultures. Cuneiform writing was established over 5,000 years ago…
Fascination with Death – Skull Symbolism
What happens when we draw our final breath? Nobody knows the answer – except the dead. Yet death has fascinated the living for thousands of years. Burials were…
The Chicken or the Egg – Giacometti and Dogon Art
Globalization. This term entailing free trade, cultural integration, vanishing borders and accessible communication throughout the world is surprisingly modern. It was coined in 1983 by Theodore Levitt, a…
Filled to the Brim – African Figurative Ceramic Vessels
Ceramic works from Africa can be loosely divided into two categories: terra cotta figurative art and earthenware vessels. In opposition to figurative art, ceramic vessels can be broken…
The Art of the Dig – Excavated Ancient Artifacts
They called him The Digger, Diggy for short. It was an apt nickname considering his most peculiar hobby – digging. As a child he created countless craters in…