Today we are featuring the work of renowned Thai artist, Vorakorn Metmanorom. Vorakorn is a Chiang Mai local and most days can be found working meditatively in his large open air studio alongside his lovely wife, who works with exotic handmade textiles.
Vorakorn graduated from the College of Fine Art in 1988 and the Faculty of Painting, Sculpture and Graphic Art, Silpakorn University, Bangkok in 1994. He has exhibited his work in Thailand, Japan, Norway, Taiwan, U.S.A, The Netherlands, Poland and Germany and has received numerous awards for his work locally and abroad. His etchings, which are influenced by Buddhism, Nature, and his Chinese ancestry, are especially popular in Japan.
We recently listed a collection of antiques and vintage
textiles originating from various provinces throughout Vietnam. Most pieces
belong to one of the 53 ethnic minorities living in the country, including the
Hmong, Yao, Tai-Dum, and Katu peoples. A few pieces were created by Kinh
majority people.
The richness of Vietnam’s various ethnic groups provides a diverse array of artifacts, each distinct in design, influenced by the spiritual belief system held by that culture, from Taoism to Animism.
Our small collection includes antique silver tribal
jewellery and tribal textiles, as well as unique artifacts including a silver
and bronze tobacco pipe, a 15th century shipwreck pot, a Taoist wood
printing block, an ancient bronze spearhead, and an architectural element in
the form of a dragon.
We hope that you find these pieces interesting. They represent
both a fascinating part of the history of the region as well as wonderful expressions
of the unique creativity of the peoples that produced them.
Antique Tribal Silver Hairpins – Tai_Dum Left & Hmong Right
Antique Tribal Hairpins – Left Tai-Dum, Right Hmong
Antique Tribal Earrings – Left Yao, Right Hmong
Antique Hmong Hill Tribe Silver Soul Lock Pendant & Earrings
We recently returned from a trip to Burma and visited the markets and antique shops of Yangon. Predictably, we found that the availability of genuine antiques has diminished significantly since our last visit. Long gone are the days of seeing tables and shelves filled with exotic offerings from Burma’s past including opium weights, bronze bells, lacquerware, Nat spirit statues, architectural pieces, Buddhist art and various other fascinating objet d’art.
We did manage to bring back a small collection of artifacts including a particularly charming Nat spirit wooden statue, well known to the Burmese as Mei Wunna, the flower-eating ogress of Mount Popa, along with a few antique bronze bells, a beautifully decorated antique lacquerware kun-it, a rare antique tattoo pen and a small collection of the much sought after handmade Chin textiles, including a very rare antique heirloom piece.
Featured below is a collection of images from Yangon as well as the various artifacts from Burma that are currently available in the gallery. If you find any items that pique your interest please email us at info@sabaidesignsgallery.com
Southeast Asia has always been thickly forested, so it was natural that the first material to be used for artistic purposes should have been wood, though because of its lack of durability, it is hard to trace the earliest examples of wood carving in the region. The wood carving tradition, dating back to ancient times, prevailed even after the use of metals and stone emerged. Wood carving flourished long after the great age of stone sculpture and stone architecture, which ended in the 13th century.
Nowhere has the tradition of wood carving in Southeast Asia been more prolific and impressive than Burma. Temples and palaces were richly decorated with highly detailed roof edges, gates, Buddha images, images of monks, effigies of celestial beings, doorways and panels, and windows all carved from hardwood in designs uniquely Burmese. Wood carvings of religious significance were often gilded and decorated with a glittering mosaic of stained glass.
Gilded Buddhist Antique Wood Carvings from Burma and Laos
The work was done with a variety of different sized chisels and mallets made from tamarind wood of varying weights, depending on the degree of detail required. Apprenticeships under the guidance of a master carver with several decades of experience lasted as long as ten years. Burmese wood carving is noted for its wonderful spatial arrangement, sense of freedom, and flow. Mostly, work was done in teak to survive the rigours of a climate of intense heat and humidity followed by long dry periods. For highly articulate work, Burmese carvers preferred fine-grained woods such as yindaik, similar to ebony. Popular designs imitated foliage such as vines with flowing outlines, and the use of holes to create a sense of depth with light and shadow.
Buddha images were sensitively carved with the objective of conveying a sense of peace, equanimity, and faithfully portraying the countenance of one who has overcome suffering in the world. The flowing lines of the Buddha’s robes, the tranquil facial expression, and detailed bases such as the lotus pedestal, all contribute to producing works of art that inspire reverence amongst devotees.
Burmese Buddha Statues and Pair of Teppanom Angels Carved from Wood
Antique Wood Carvings of Monks from Burma
Nat spirits were also carved in wood, and while less refined in execution than Buddhist images, were highly expressive. There are 37 ‘official’ Nats and there are said to be as many as 2000 lower Nats of various forms. A favourite Nat of ours is Nga Pyi, Rider of the White Horse (shown below), who was executed for his tardiness in delivering an important message on behalf of a prince.
Burmese Nat Spirit Wood Carvings
Even utilitarian objects in Burma were decorated with attractive forms carved from wood, such as the ox cart, which in the past would have on its bow an ornament carved from wood. An example of this is featured below; the Feng Huang, said to be a mythical bird of infinite grace.
Antique Burmese Ox Cart Ornament, Javanese Husband and Wife Statues, and Ox Wood Carving
Wood carvings other than those from Burma featured in this blog include a wonderful pair of rare 19th century statues from Java, Indonesia, known as ‘husband and wife statues’, a pair of antique Thai roof gable ornaments decorated in lichen, a Buddhist panel from Laos, and a rare shamanic ritual printing woodblock from Vietnam.
Antique wood carvings have a unique organic quality and possess the sense of presence instilled in objects lovingly made by hand in times past, before the homogeneous conformity of factory produced goods became commonplace.
Jewellery and ornamentation is an integral part of Southeast Asian hill tribe cultures, and in the past the value of almost everything was measured in terms of silver. History taught the hill tribe groups that paper money could become worthless overnight and so silver became their trusted currency. In Peoples of the Golden Triangle by Paul and Elaine Lewis, it is stated that, ‘They feel happy and secure when they are loaded down with silver, beads and other valuables’.
Hill Tribe Women of Southeast Asian Wearing Silver Jewellery
In the past, French silver coins were melted down and fashioned into a wonderful variety of forms by highly skilled silversmiths, whom today have all but vanished. Modern silver hill tribe jewellery is markedly inferior in terms of both materials and execution. The vast majority of genuine antique silver hill tribe jewellery has been sold off for cash by villagers long ago, and the pieces that we offer in our gallery represent the remaining trickle of antique silver that becomes available sporadically, a few pieces at a time.
Specific styles of silver jewellery were favoured by the distinct hill tribe groups including the Hmong (White Hmong & Blue Hmong) , Lisu, Mien (Yao), Akha, Wa/Lawa, Karen, Shan, and Lahu. The most prolific and skilled producers of silver jewellery and ornamentation appear to have been the Hmong and the Mien.
Antique Dragon Head Silver Bracelets Worn by the Hmong and Mien (Yao)
Antique Silver Hill Tribe Bracelets
Silver was of special significance to the Hmong and symbolized wealth and the essence of a good life. At the time of the Hmong New Year, all the family silver jewellery is worn and displayed. Three styles of earrings were favoured by the Hmong; one shaped like an arrow, with the shaft bent to form a circle. Another is an elongated S shape with a pointed plug which passes through the earlobe. The third and more recent is a design of a small silver hook with several small dangles hanging from it. Both men and women wear heavy, engraved silver bracelets as well as flat engraved bracelets. Solid or hollow neck rings are also worn alone or in sets of up to six. Heavy silver chains from which hang lock shaped pendants are also very important to the Hmong and are said to help lock the soul in the body. A variety of silver hair ornaments were also worn traditionally by women, some in the shape of opium poppies (the Hmong were very successful growers of opium poppies). During the Hmong New year, which falls at the end of the harvest season between November and December, the quantity of silver displayed in previous times was impressive.
Antique Silver Soul Lock Pendants from the Hmong
In Mien (Yao) villages, women and children would wear silver neck rings, sometimes multi-tiered, on festive occasions. From hooked rings, women would suspend silver chains with bells, balls, and dangles attached. Mien women, like the Hmong, wear arrow-shaped earrings with the shafts forming a circle, along with a variety of rings. Heavy silver bracelets were also popular and worn on the left wrist. Also popular amongst Mien women were silver butterflies, birds, flowers, and geometric designs. Soul lock pendants as worn by the Hmong were also worn by the Mien.
The Hmong and Mien (Yao) Wearing Silver Jewellery
The majority of the antique silver jewellery that we offer comes from the Hmong groups of Laos and occasionally the Mien (Yao). There are certain designs that were shared by both groups such as the circular arrow earrings and various styles of bracelets. Featured here are a few examples of antique hill tribe silver jewellery acquired on a recent trip to Laos. Click on any of the photographs featured to be taken to our antique tribal jewellery category.
We recently returned from a trip to south India and in this blog are sharing a collection of photos, mostly taken in Mahabalipuram, as well as some photos of a few artifacts that we acquired in India.
Mahabalipuram was an ancient seaport of the Pallavas, who ruled from nearby Kancheepuram between 300 A.D – 800 A.D. Though ravaged by sea, wind and time, the sculptural treasures of Mahabalipuram are testament to the magnificence of ancient Dravidian art and temple architecture. King Mahendravarman (580-630 AD) was a renowned patron of fine arts and devoted much of his time and wealth to nurturing these arts. Historians have written about the importance of Mahabalipuram as a leading port for trade and excavators have recovered coins in the area from ancient Rome, China, Persia and other nations.
Pancha Rathas or The Five Rathas (630-680AD), Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, India. UNESCO World Heritage Site
Life on the beach in front of Shore Temple, Mahabalipuram, India
Shore Temple built by Narasimha Varman II (690-715 AD). It is the only survivor of seven such temples built, the rest having fallen to the ravages of the sea.
Shore Temple, Mahabalipuram, India.
People of Mahabalipuram, India
Varaha Cave Temple, Mahabalipuram, India. Inside the cave temple are two sculptures representing two incarnations of Lord Vishnu.
Pilgrims from Kerala visiting the ancient temples of Mahabalipuram.
Arjuna’s Penance, a brilliant bas-relief, hailed as one of major glories of Indian art and the largest of its kind in the world, carved into a huge rock canvass measuring 96 ft long and 43 ft high.
Beautifully carved sculptures of Lord Vishnu, Brahma, and Shiva at the Five Rathas, Mahabalipuram.
Original Mughal paintings of the emperor with consorts painted in watercolors on antique paper with 24K gilding.
A superb pair of original Mughal paintings depicting Shah Jahan, the great 17thC Mughal emperor, and his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal, for whom the incredible Taj Mahal was constructed as a tomb following her premature death.
Bidriware zinc and silver vase, Tibetan jade and silver bowl, and Tibetan singing bowl.
Rosewood jewelry box and teak spice box from from Chettinad, Tamil Nadu, India.
In this last blog for 2016 we are featuring a small collection of artifacts from Southeast Asia in a home setting. We wish all of our customers a very happy New Year in 2017.
This photo features an antique Burmese bell, Nat Spirit wood carving, lacquerware hsun-ok and a bronze Buddha and wood carving of a monk from Thailand.
Burmese style standing Buddha statue carved from wood.
Silk wall hanging from Laos, lacquerware box, teppanom angels, and altar sculpture from Burma.
Featuring Hmong silver torque and necklace, bronze Burmese bell.
Featuring etching by Vorakorn, Burmese lacquerware box, silk wall hanging from Laos, and Indonesian wood carvings.
Having recently returned from a trip to Laos, we wanted to showcase the beautiful tribal jewellery created by the talented Hmong silversmiths of the past. Antique Hmong silver jewellery was made using high content silver and is superior to the work being done today, including the fake Hmong jewellery found in markets and online.
Traditional Hmong Designs on Antique Silver Bracelets
The Hmong, (also known as Meo or Miao) are a strong willed hill tribe people thought to have originated in Southern China some 3,000 years ago. Today the Hmong are found throughout Southeast Asia, the result of significant migration provoked by persecution from the Chinese during the 18th and 19th centuries. The Hmong were the first hill tribe group to successfully cultivate opium and are known to be shrewd entrepreneurs. Despite the pressures to conform to life in the 21st century, ancient Hmong culture is proving robust to dissolution with much of their customs, traditions and beliefs remaining intact. While the opium poppy fields have largely been replaced with food crops and children are now often educated in local schools, most born into this distinct culture remain proudly Hmong.
Hmong Girls in Traditional Costume
The Hmong’s love of silver and silversmith skills are widely known and admired. In the past, households acquired as much silver as possible, and during New Year all the families’ silver came out on display. As the New Year approached, Hmong silversmiths would melt silver bars and old neckbands to repair jewellery and create new ornaments for the coming celebrations.
Hmong Silversmith at Work 20th Century
In the early part of last century, silver was often obtained through melting French silver coins. Silver jewellery was to the Hmong more than a mere decorative show of wealth, but also a representation of their spiritual beliefs. Silver neck rings with lock shaped pendants were given to children in the ‘naming ceremony’ to keep the restless soul from prematurely leaving the body.
Other common forms of jewellery worn by the Hmong include solid or hollow silver torques, flat or hollow bracelets with engraved designs, earrings in a variety of styles, and cone shaped rings often worn on every finger, as well as hairpins; some in the shape of the opium poppy. A single pair of silver earrings could take a master up to five days to complete and one mistake could ruin days of work. We’ve included a few images of antique Hmong jewellery acquired on our most recent trip to Laos and now available in the gallery. The last image is of one of the loveliest examples of Hmong silver work we’ve seen to date – a 19th century medicine box from Luang Prabang, where the Hmong have lived for centuries.
Antique Hmong Silver Bracelets
Antique Hmong Silver Earrings
Antique Hmong Silver Hairpins
Antique Hmong Silver Neck Rings with Soul Lock Pendants
Sabai Designs Gallery is happy to have participated in the 2016 Friends Without A Border Annual New York Gala for the third consecutive year by providing Southeast Asian artifacts for auction at the event. The Friends Without A Border 20th Anniversary celebration was held on April 7 at The Lighthouse, Chelsea Piers, in New York City.
This year, Friends Without A Border welcomed celebrated cellist, humanitarian, and United Nations Messenger of Peace, Yo-Yo Ma as their Goodwill Ambassador.
The mission of Friends Without A Border (FWAB) is to provide high quality health care to the children of Southeast Asia by creating community health education programs including the training of local healthcare professionals. FWAB was founded in 1996 by world renowned photographer Kenro Izu after he witnessed the suffering of Cambodia’s children during a trip to photograph the Angkor monuments. Since then, FWAB founded the Angkor Hospital for Children, in Siem Reap, Cambodia, which opened in 1999, and has treated more than 1.5 million children to date. Last year saw the doors open to their second hospital, the Laos Friends Hospital for Children in Luang Prabang, Laos. FWAB is the proud recipient of the Nobel Prize for Children’s Advocacy. You can visit there site and donate here: Friends Without A Border
Traditional Dancers and Music at 2016 FWAB Annual Gala
Artifacts for Auction at Friends Without A Border 20th Anniversary Gala NYC 2016
Artifacts from sabai designs gallery at Friends Without A Border 20th Anniversary Gala NYC 2016
FWAB 2016 Annual Gala Celebrating 20 Years of Friends
The Founder of FWAB, Kenro Izu (wearing scarf and bow tie) with Honored Guests
View from Chelsea Piers at Friends Without A Border 20th Anniversary Gala NYC 2016
In our last post for the year we are featuring a selection of photographs of Asian antiques, artifacts and textiles from our gallery in an Asian home décor setting. We wish all of the visitors to our gallery a happy holiday season and offer our best wishes for 2016.
