Traditional Chinese Toggles

Traditional Chinese Toggles
Author: Margaret Duda
Publisher: Editions Didier Millet
Total Pages: 275
Release: 2011
Genre: Antiques & Collectibles
ISBN: 9814260614

This volume is a much-needed reference guide to the historical and cultural significance of Chinese toggles or zhuizi - carved pieces of jade, ivory, bone, wood, shell and semi-precious stones used by the Chinese in ancient times as counterweights to secure personal effects like tobacco pipes and money pouches to their belts. Over time, toggles became treasured objects of identity and expression, believed to bring the bearer good luck, happiness, fertility, longevity and health. The book explains how toggles were used in daily and ceremonial life, and interprets the designs that are fundamental to understanding these artefacts. Accompanied by stunning photography and detailed descriptions, Traditional Chinese Toggles: Counterweights and Charms will be the definitive illustrative guide to this little-known Chinese art form.

Chinese Toggles

Chinese Toggles
Author: Shuxia Chen
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 1995
Genre: Art
ISBN: 9780909952242

This book introduces the understudied cultural artifact of the Chinese belt toggle, known as zhuizi. Similar to their better-known Japanese counterparts netsuke, these small carved ornaments offer a rare glimpse into everyday life in early modern China. Toggles were a feature of traditional Chinese garments from the 17th century but were scarcely collected. A collaboration between the Powerhouse Museum and Chau Chak Wing Museum at the University of Sydney, this publication reveals one of the world's largest collections of these extraordinary objects. More than personal accessories, toggles were wearable symbols, embodying Chinese folk traditions and cultural beliefs. Today, they can speak to 300 years of Chinese culture across various levels of society. These intricately carved miniatures display the finesse of traditional craft skills through a broad range of materials from jade, ivory and amber to wood, glass and seeds. Coinciding with an exhibition of the same title at the University of Sydney's Chau Chak Wing Museum, Chinese Toggles: Culture in Miniature, combines curatorial and scientific analysis of the objects' histories and materials by art historians, archaeologists, scientists, and curators. Edited by the exhibition's curators, this book allows a larger audience to engage with these unique objects, pairing academic enquiry with detailed photographic documentation of both the exhibition itself, and the catalogue of 80 toggles.

Chinese Furniture

Chinese Furniture
Author: Karen Mazurkewich
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
Total Pages: 236
Release: 2024-05-14
Genre: Antiques & Collectibles
ISBN: 1462906923

The international market for antique Chinese furniture is booming, and masterpieces from the Ming and Qing dynasties are now worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Chinese Furniture is a survey of these collectibles--from the very best hardwood pieces featured to standard softwood specimens still available on the Asian market. This antique furniture book presents an overview of carving styles, wood types, regional variations, class distinctions and restoration techniques. It includes detailed chapters on various types of wooden furniture cover chairs, stools and benches, tables and desks, beds, cabinets and bookshelves, doors and screens and household accessories. With this renewed interest in antique furniture, a forgery market has emerged. Thousands of factories in southern China are churning out brand new or refurbished furniture and passing them off as Chinese antiques. Chinese Furniture unearths these forgeries and serves as an indispensable reference guide for collectors of antique wood furniture.

Encyclopedia of Mythological Objects

Encyclopedia of Mythological Objects
Author: Theresa Bane
Publisher: McFarland
Total Pages: 228
Release: 2020-05-29
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1476639205

Curious about the chains that bound Fenriswulf in Norse mythology? Or the hut of Baba Yaga, the infamous witch of Russian folklore? Containing more than one thousand detailed entries on the magical and mythical items from the different folklore, legends, and religions the world over, this encyclopedia is the first of its kind. From Abadi, the named stone in Roman mythology to Zul-Hajam, one of the four swords said to belong to the prophet Mohammed, each item is described in as much detail as the original source material provided, including information on its origin, who was its wielder, and the extent of its magical abilities. The text also includes a comprehensive cross-reference system and an extensive bibliography to aid researchers.

Chinese Art

Chinese Art
Author: Patricia Bjaaland Welch
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
Total Pages: 300
Release: 2013-02-19
Genre: Art
ISBN: 1462906893

With over 630 striking color photos and illustrations, this Chinese art guide focuses on the rich tapestry of symbolism which makes up the basis of traditional Chinese art. Chinese Art: A Guide to Motifs and Visual Imagery includes detailed commentary and historical background information for the images that continuously reappear in the arts of China, including specific plants and animals, religious beings, mortals and inanimate objects. The book thoroughly illuminates the origins, common usages and diverse applications of popular Chinese symbols in a tone that is both engaging and authoritative. Chinese Art: A Guide to Motifs and Visual Imagery is an essential reference for collectors, museum-goers, guides, students and anyone else with a serious interest in the culture and history of China.

Chinese-Islamic Works of Art, 1644–1912

Chinese-Islamic Works of Art, 1644–1912
Author: Emily Byrne Curtis
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 125
Release: 2019-11-27
Genre: Art
ISBN: 1000752798

Chinese-Islamic studies have concentrated thus far on the arts of earlier periods with less attention paid to works from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). This book focuses on works of Chinese-Islamic art from the late seventeenth century to the present day and bring to the reader’s attention several new areas for consideration. The book examines glass wares which were probably made for a local Chinese-Muslim clientele, illustrating a fascinating mixture of traditional Chinese and Muslim craft traditions. While the inscriptions on them can be related directly to the mosque lamps of the Arab world, their form and style of decoration is characteristically that of Han Chinese. Several contemporary Chinese Muslim artists have succeeded in developing a unique fusion of calligraphic styles from both cultures. Other works examined include enamels, porcelains, and interior painted snuff bottles, with emphasis on either those with Arabic inscriptions, or on works by Chinese Muslim artists. The book includes a chapter written by Dr. Shelly Xue and an addendum written by Dr. Riccardo Joppert. This book will appeal to scholars working in art history, religious studies, Chinese studies, Chinese history, religious history, and material culture.