Saturday, September 12th, 2009
Every age and every society has its saints and sages and with its long history, China has produced a great number, some so ancient, as to be lost, except for the echo.
One of the great Chinese philosophies is Taoism, the founder of Taoism is believed by many to be Lao-Tzu (604-531 BCE), a contemporary of Confucius. He was searching for a way that would avoid the constant feudal warfare and other conflicts that disrupted society during his lifetime. The result was his great teaching, the Tao Te Ching. Many believe however, that whoever Lao-Tzu was, he is probably a mythical character, symbolizing the combined great wisdom teachings of the era.
Central to religious Taoism are the eight spiritual beings known as the “eight immortals” (Xian in Chinese) and perhaps intended to be allegorical, these super-humans or perfect persons (chin jean) came to be worshipped and emulated by Taoists.
These perfect beings dwell far away in an untroubled place, where they experience an effortless existence of physical freedom. They are ageless, eat nothing but air, drink nothing but dew, and enjoy the power of flight, they truly exemplify the Taoist virtue of spontaneity and spiritual transcendence.
These powerful eight beings are said to have been born in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) or Song Dynasty (960-1279). . Among the Eight Immortals, a number seem to have had actual historical existences. They were “real people.” Nevertheless, the many stories that have accumulated, describing the magical and mysterious lives of these immortals, make it well-nigh impossible to distinguish historical from mythological reality.
The eight Immortals frequently appear in Chinese literature, mythology and art and each has a symbol and special power. As a group, they are associated symbolically with good fortune as well as the “eight conditions of life”, youth, age, poverty, wealth,
high rank, and common people, feminine and masculine. Today, the eight immortals represent the hope for long life and abundant good fortune in the present world.
The Antique and Vintage Table Lamp Co illustrate a pair of 19th century Chinese lamps, mounted on French rococo, ormolu bases, The lamps, decorated with a subject of the eight immortals, as they skim across the surface of the ocean on their progress to the island of the blessed.
A refined pair of 19th century, French ormolu mounted, Chinese porcelain jars and covers as lamps. The jars and covers well painted with a polychrome subject of “The Eight Immortals”, the eight saints, (Pa Hsien), of the Taoist pantheon who had attained immortality.
This traditional subject shows the eight immortals on their way to the Isles of the Blessed, (the Pa Hsien Kuo Lai), the saints riding smoothly across the surface of the ocean, the chosen enamel palette of burnt orange, dark green, aubergine and touches of black.
The covers with gilded brass rims and decorated with bats, (fu), and peaches, both symbols of longevity. The jars mounted on Rococo, ormolu bases. A very elegant pair of lamps, true to the French tradition of combining Chinese porcelain and C scroll ormolu.
Circa 1880 Overall height (including shades) 19″/48cm
The immortals are said to live on the mythical island of the blessed, or, Penglai Shan, It is said to be surrounded by water so weak that it will not hold a ship, yet they alone can walk across it. They are always shown together in artwork except maybe, on rare occasions, in Chinese Opera.
Each of the immortals is represented with his / her attribute. The eight immortals are.
Zhongli Quan who is represented as a fat hermit. With his feather fan he can bring the dead back to life. He has is the secret of longevity.
Zhang Guo Lao is an old man that carries a bamboo tube drum. The purpose of this drum is to announce his arrival. He rides a white donkey and has the power of invisibility.
Lu Dongbin, across his back he wears a magic sword used to slay dragons and demons. In his hand he carries a fly brush. He is said to have traveled the earth for over 400 years slaying dragons.
Li Teiguai walks with a crutch and is famous for carrying a smoking gourd. It is said the smoke from it can pull the spirit right from your body.
Han Xiangzi is famous for the lute he carries. He can make flowers bloom with his music, and soothe the wild animals. He is the patron deity of musicians.
Ts’ao Kuo-ghin,the finest dressed of the Eight Immortals. He is always shown wearing formal court dress and carrying castanets.
Lan Caihe carries a basket of flowers. She is the second woman amongst the Immortals and is always shown wearing a tattered blue gown and only one shoe. This immortal can be represented as both male and female.
He Xiangu, the last of the immortals, is a young girl; she carries with her a magical Lotus flower. She is the second of the two female Immortals; and was brought into the group of Immortals by Lu Dong-Bin after he rescued her from a demon with his magic sword.
China, no matter what the current trend, rarely gives up its much loved ancient heroes and the eight immortals are high on the list of much loved, by example, Why is the number 8 considered lucky by the Chinese? This has a lot to do with these immortals, or, in the words of Shelley, “as if their nature were resolved into the surrounding universe, or as if the surrounding universe were resolved into their being.”
Tags: Antique, Eight, Immortals, Lamps, Table
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Monday, April 6th, 2009
Wardrobes are generally the key piece of furniture in any bedroom as they often dominate the room. Other furniture is often covered or concealed by ornaments, photographs and day to day products like jewelery boxes and makeup. The wardrobe is usually the most clearly visible piece of furniture so the look and style of it can influence your whole room. Fashion can change over the years but the wardrobe in your house can stand the test of time. A wardrobe will last as long as you want it to, this depends on how much you are prepared to spend. If you invest in good quality furniture you will not be disappointed and it will serve you well for years to come. Alternatively many people spend less on furniture so they can update to keep up with the latest fashions. Our customers have invariably tried the cheaper route and found that the cheaper quality products let them down due to bad construction and finishes that do not stand the test of time so they look to us for an alternative which is unique and practical.
Our particular style of antique wardrobes are original and usually between eighty and one hundred years old. Each one being unique as we rarely get two the same apart from a few pairs that have come in over the years. The wardrobes are all pine as we don’t deal in any other type of wood. All the wardrobes have been hot caustic stripped to remove years of old paint and kill any wood worm. When all all the paint or varnish has been removed we can see what sort of repairs are required, hopefully not too many, as we try to keep all the original features where possible. Normally the first job is to replace the feet with new ones in a style and shape that matches the wardrobe, a victorian bun is a good choice. The feet have a dowel so you have to drill a hole in the base to fit them, they can be glued in but if you have a good fit, leave the glue then you can remove them later. I have to change the top cornice sometimes as they get damaged over the years, plus any splits in the panels are glued and clamped. Check the drawer runners for wear and replace them if necessary. The wardrobe can be sanded down now if there are no other major repairs and stained down with a water based stain to blend in the repairs ready for waxing. Locks and keys are also repaired and replaced.
Our wardrobe collection are mainly of a breakdown type with one, two or three doors. The construction is normally fitted together by tongue and groove joints on all the larger parts and dowels on the rest, this allows the wardrobe to be completely disassembled and easily reassembled in your home. The joints are held together tightly by a wooden or metal taper on the inside on all four corners which gives a good solid construction.
We endeavour to find the best quality pieces with good lines and age but also good solid craftsmanship when they were fist made, so you get furniture that will keep its value and stand the test of time
Tags: Antique, Dissmantle, Europe, From, Original, Pine, Wardrobes
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Wednesday, January 28th, 2009
Antique chairs are old-fashioned chairs that were present in the early days. These can also be termed as the old or classic chairs. These chairs came into the being or use after the 1600’s. Before this period, only the master and the mistress of the house used the chairs. All other under privileged people had to sit on stools and benches. Surprisingly, chairs were once regarded as luxurious assets for a home.
The extent and enormous carvings found on the chairs made it very popular and it indicated high status. Many antique chairs are stylishly made and are, more importantly. quite durable. They not only enhance and give a customized look to the living room but also provide warmth and comfort. Almost all the antique chairs are made out of high quality wood. They are later given a splendid polish and excellent finishing for making them durable.
The beauty of the antique chairs or furniture lies in maintaining its originality with the historical importance attached to it. The original designs, stains, and paintings on it often reveal the times in which the chair was crafted. Some of them are of the view to make the antique craft whether chair or furniture presentable and usable. This brings into the picture the act of stripping and refinishing. But, then it is possible that the originality of the design and the chair is lost. However, technology has advanced so much that it is possible now to refurbish the antique chairs while preserving the historical importance and the accuracy. Thus, both the purpose is served of restoring an attractive appearance and preserving its antiquity.
As many antique chairs are made out of wood, it is necessary to preserve these wooden chairs from damage or any other type of defects. The major causes of damage to wooden furniture are casual handling and environmental conditions. Damage can be caused due to light. Light is especially harmful for wood, as it can fade out the dark finishes and darken the faded shades. It can also affect the finishing, and paint by leaving it discolored, opaque, brittle or cracked. The prevention can be done by not placing the chair in direct sunlight. It should not be placed near the fireplaces, or baseboard heaters. Basements and garages are not good places to store furniture and antique chairs because of fluctuating environmental conditions.
The antique chair helps in beautifying the room’s atmosphere. Proper care should be taken to maintain its condition so that the richness and the elegance is not lost after some days. One of the best ways to clean wood is to keep dusting it regularly with a soft and smooth cloth. The care should be taken that un-finished wood should not be wet-cleaned. The microcrystalline wax can be useful to increase the gloss of the finish, thus helping in removing the fingerprints. This should not be done very frequently, just once a year. Metal hardware on the antique chairs should be removed before any polishing as the ammonia present in it can damage the surrounding wood and finish.
The collection of antique chairs can be also considered as an asset and it serves to be a good investment also.
Tags: Antique, Asset, Chairs, Collection, Considered
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