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Relief woodcarving and its applications in
fine furniture making |
The meditation moves with the door
movements | ||
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A potpourri of fantasies that have survived
thousands of years |
A bridge between China and the West with a
spiritual odyssey alongside | ||
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Originally for the art program, this website is developed into an online service in bridging China and the West, for it's an endeavour made to touch the deeps of custom thoughts in the two worlds, and in which making equivalence has to be a frequent concern. Read more. |
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What I mean by ¡®a spiritual odyssey¡¯ is merely my personal account... such as my Chinese studies. |
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In order to write about the life of drug-addictives, someone indulged himself with becoming one of them for over ten years. This is parabolic: for an Easterner to understand the West, vice versa. It's not essentially a geographical matter; the spirit matters. |
A1-2 Click on above image for an explanatory story and, in it: ________________
J1-6 Click on above image for Chinese aesthetic.
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The woodcarving painting and its background: Li Jihhua (1565-1635) described the spiritual baptism of a great painter (translated by Lin Yutang):
Ni Yunlin (1301-1374), a great Yuan painter most distinguished for the quality of the freedom in his works said:
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The prototype of the carvingwork and application: To prototype, and to carve it out: one shall have a solid understanding of the top Chinese paintings, and to put this understanding into some drawings that are some segments of the prototypes of the woodcarving. In the carving process, one shall be determined and meticulous in carrying out the understanding to each last detail of the carving. Afterwards a certain characteristic would take shape out of the carving, which shall pose a style the same as that of the painting.
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The important thing about willows is that their branches hang down, for if they did not hang down, they would not be willows. It is important that the branches be long, for otherwise they cannot sway gracefully in the wind. What then would be the use of their hanging down? This tree is a place where the cicadas love to rest, as well as the birds. It is to the credit of this tree that we often hear music in the air and do not feel lonely in summer. Especially is the case with tall willow trees. In short, the planting of trees is not only to please the eye, but also to please the ear as well. The pleasure of the eye is sometimes limited because we are lying down on a bed. On the other hand, the ear can take its pleasure all the time. The most lovely notes of the birds are not heard when we are sitting but when we are lying down. Everyone knows that the birds' songs should be heard at dawn, but do not know why they should be heard at dawn, as people do not think about it. The birds are continually afraid of the shooting gun, and after seven o'clock in the morning, all the people are up, and the birds no longer feel at ease. Once they are on their guard they can never sing wholeheartedly, and even if they sing their song cannot be beautiful. |
A1-1
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That is why daytime is not the proper time for listening to the birds. At dawn the people are not up yet, with the exception of a few early risers.Since the birds are then free from worry, naturally they can finish their song at ease. Besides, their tongues have been lying idle for the whole night, and are now itching to try their skill. Consequently, when they sing, they sing with the full gladness of their hearts. Chuangtse was not a fish and could understand the happiness of the fish; Liweng is not a bird and can understand the happiness of the birds. All singing birds should regard me as their bosom friend... There are many points about the planting of trees, but there is one point which is an annoyance to the cultivated. When the tree leaves are too thick they shut out the moonlight, like shutting off a beauty from our view. The trees cannot be held guilty of this, because it is the men who are at fault. If we could spend a thought on this point at the time of planting trees, and allow a corner of the sky to be shown behind them in order to wait for the rising and setting of the moon, we could then receive its benefits both at night and day. |
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She concerned herself with some reverie in her next incarnation before taking the last breath in this one; and he followed her up, despite the condemnation. | ||
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"I have been dreaming lately," she said, ¡°of my parents who have sent a boat to welcome me home. Whenever I closed my eyes, I feel my body is so light, so light like one walking among the clouds. It seems that my spirit has already departed and only my body remains.¡±
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2005-2010 Jian Xu. All rights reserved |
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