#chinese crane painting meaning

[beneaththebrim]

WIP Wednesday: Zhan Yunfei pov

i'm working on a zyf-centric fic right now, in which i'm writing zhan yunfei as being genderqueer (messily closeted transfem). the fic features a one-way love triangle lxy->zyf->qwm->lxy (plus very heavily implied abusive sgd/lxy)

note on pronouns: obvs in chinese (specifically the modern chinese used in the show) it'd all be the same sound "ta" but it is a fic in english so i use "he" or "she" depending on zyf's current perception of herself and others

(this excerpt opens with lxy crossdressing for zyf after zyf rebuffed his advances the first time)

Li Xiangyi the prodigy, he would take to any new skill like a fish in water.

How she swam through that night, perfect control over the flow of her draping clothes and swinging hair loops. Her movements seemed physically impossible, like she really was a phoenix in flight, sword reflecting the full moon and illuminating her fair face as it pitched in a dancer’s ecstasy.

A fantasy, a rose cloud at midnight atop an apricot tree blooming in winter.

What did it mean, for this generation’s singular sword genius to put on a performance unconventional as this for Zhan Yunfei and only Zhan Yunfei? For how many people had he done such a thing? Zhan Yunfei was nothing special, just a weird loner who fought with an edgeless blade and admired women so profoundly he largely assumed they found him offputting. He didn’t really have a penchant for the habits of Longyang—not that he’d really know, virginal as he was.

But Li Xiangyi seemed intent on selling him on them.

Zhan Yunfei drank more than she intended.

She’d never been wooed before. Was it always this wonderful, or was that just the effect Li Xiangyi had on people?

The dance never seemed to end, until—

The Shaoshi sword charged at Zhan Yunfei, rousing him from his hazy stupor. He dodged and unsheathed his own blade to parry the attacks he knew Li Xiangyi was slowing down for his benefit. All the while he retreated, retreated right to the edge of the cliff.

Another step back, and he’d tread on air, but Li Xiangyi had him trapped.

She had to take that step.

A smirk on her painted face, and a hand grasped Zhan Yunfei’s waist, bending them both precariously askew.

Peach blossom eyes, framed in tender red liner. He’d even plucked his brows.

The sky rotated behind her.

Together, they tumbled.

Zhan Yunfei practically went limp in her arms.

Crack!

Li Xiangyi must have known there’d be a branch. A kick of his feet, and they were both flung upward and landed gracefully back on solid ground.

They were both breathing heavily, chests pressed together, hearts galloping.

“Can I kiss you, Zhan-xiong?”

Though still soft and low, Li Xiangyi didn’t bother to lighten his voice this time.

Zhan Yunfei craned his own neck to kiss him in lieu of reply. Kissed him angrily, for doing something like that, for being such a stupid boy.

[aerodaltonimperial]

Church for the location prompts

(@perhapswhoknowsvamp also asked for this one!)

"—and truly, that particular type is vindictive. If you want someone destroyed out of revenge, yes, naturally you should summon—"

"Dude," Hook says, because people are starting to stare. The old lady in the pew closest to where they're standing clutches her purse to her chest, as though one of them is going to try and steal it. "Stop."

"Stop what?" Danhausen asks. He seems genuine; Christ.

Hook offers the old lady a little wave in hopes of appeasing her and it seems to have the opposite effect. Her knuckles blanch whiter. "Stop talking about demons in here."

"Why?" Danhausen shoots back. "The priests talk about demons here all the time."

"Yeah, like in a bad, don't-mess-with-them kind of way."

Danhausen considers this. Then he cranes his chin over Hook's shoulder, and fuck if Hook knows what that little old lady sees in Danhausen's face—the guy went outside without his face paint, so really, this is as normal as he gets—but the woman books it out of the church doors faster than Hook would have thought possible at her age.

"Great," Hook says. "Now she probably thinks I'm possessed. The priest is gonna come out here with a crucifix to drive me out."

"Meh." Danhausen waves a hand in the air. "There are worse things."

"Think people are gonna take notice if I get kicked out of a church like I'm a vampire."

"You wouldn't be able to get in here if you were a vampire," Danhausen offers, vaguely smug.

Hook blinks. The candles at the front of the atrium, on the alter, are blurring a little. "Wait, what?"

"Anyway, we should go. Danhausen is hungry."

"No, hold up. Are you saying vampires are real?"

"Does Hook want Chinese or Thai for lunch today?"

He starts to leave, which means Hook is stuck scrambling to catch up with him, his fingers sliding along the top of the last pew. "Wait, wait, D; are vampires real?"

"Thai, maybe. Danhausen is fond of the spicy soup."

"D!" Hook follows the man out the front doors. "D, if vampires are—"

Outside, the little old lady gives out a breathy, terrified shriek as Hook nearly runs right into her, and oh, this is so ending up on some kind of gossip mag tomorrow. Fuck, his dad is gonna have a fit, and Hook isn't sure if he'll burst a blood vessel from fuming or laughing.

[lingshanhermit]

Lingshan Hermit: Evidence of Having Lived

A magazine once said that ordinary people will be completely forgotten by the world 50 years after they die, as if they never existed. As Buddhist practitioners, we know we will be reborn, we know we have countless past lives, we know we are the continuation of our past selves. But for ordinary people, Confucians believe we should do things, leave some words behind, make some impact on this world, so that the world will remember us. This is the meaning of your life, and the evidence that you existed. For our grandfathers and fathers, they still held Confucian values, they would teach us this way. Their time had no internet, no WeChat, no AI, so they could keep traditional ways of thinking. But now, few people think like this anymore. I see many kids today only think about how to eat well, play well, make themselves comfortable. They don't want to spend time doing something with no visible reward. Even things with rewards, they don't want to put in too much effort. A friend I know wanted his child to learn the art of zisha teapots, but the child didn't think it was a respectable job. This is truly a tragedy. If everyone thinks this way, many things will disappear. You really will be, as that magazine said, forgotten 50 years after death, with nothing memorable left behind. I love Song dynasty paintings, the peak of Chinese painting. I love Emperor Huizong's Auspicious Cranes, if he didn't leave those exquisite paintings, just being a major historical figure, he wouldn't be remembered by me. And Cao Xueqin, descendant of an imperial concubine, he left behind the book Dream of the Red Chamber, which he spent 10 years writing. And Zhuangzi, Kumarajiva who translated the Diamond Sutra, those who lived thousands or hundreds of years ago, they left these things, allowing us to enter their spiritual world, they still nourish us now, this is the evidence they lived in this world, this is their immortality.

Written by Lingshan Hermit on October 16, 2021.

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灵山居士：活过的证据

[mysticmonkiebusiness]

🌷80024 The Legendary Flower Fruit Mountain, Manual Introduction🌷

[I.D 1: A piece of paper in between a scroll, drawn on the paper are pencil sketches of Flower Fruit Mountain, some are in-depth planning for which LEGO block will create each section of the mountain.] 

[I.D 2: A sheet of paper surrounded by various LEGO bricks and foliage, strewn across the page are several work-in-progress minifigures of Monkey King, one of them has an incomplete white face and torso but the other is in his warrior garb, to the right is a white brick-built crane.]

Transcript:

THE MAKING OF A LEGEND

INTERVIEW WITH LEGO® FLOWER FRUIT MOUNTAIN DESIGNER LIN LI-YU

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

"Among the lineup of cool and exciting LEGO® Monkie Kid™ sets, we wanted to make something really special to celebrate the epic stories of the great Monkey King. In a legendary world, filled with mystical locations, we all agreed upon Flower Fruit Mountain as an essential landmark from the original story. After all...it's where Monkey King came to life and the epic adventure began!

My first thought was to place lots of different Monkey King story elements across the model, but during a design team meeting, the suggestion was made that we could arrange the model to reflect the chapters of the story in a more chronological way.

And so, the final model design of Flower Fruit Mountain was created to give a linear story- telling of the Monkey King legend, starting with how he was born from a rock, to how he took to the Monkey King throne. Last but not least, I'm also extremely excited that we feature no less than four different LEGO minifigure versions of Monkey King himself-something completely unique to this set!"

CAPTURING 'SHANSHUI' "From the very beginning, I was determined to make this set unique and make it stand apart from all the other LEGO® location sets. One of my key considerations was to capture an authentic Chinese aesthetic within the model. After numerous discussions with our LEGO concept artist, Xiaodong Wen, I eventually took inspiration from traditional Chinese mountain landscape paintings; 'Shanshui', which literally means 'mountains and waters'. These paintings capture the essence or spirit of the natural world and aim to evoke a feeling rather than give a realistic or life-like impression of a place.

The first sketch models I built of Flower Fruit Mountain had a conventional rectangular footprint, but going back to the long horizontal scroll as one of the principal forms of Chinese Shanshui paintings, I developed and opened up the model to have a long horizontal footprint instead. This makes it a great set for shelf display as well." A TIMELESS TALE: RETOLD "While designing this model, I was really motivated by the idea that parents would be able to use the set to tell and share the timeless stories of the Monkey King with their children through play."

[ainews]

Cranes have long been a symbol of longevity and fortune. In East Asian cultures, they’re seen as a bringer of good luck—a creature capable of living as long as a thousand years. And while these special birds are revered for their grace, there’s one thing that still remains mysterious: the dots they often carry.

On its feathers and wings, a crane packs a few small, circular dots—sometimes faded, sometimes bright. Though the exact origin of their appearance is unknown, many experts believe these dots represent the crane’s many lifetimes as an immortal.

The idea of crane dots, as they’re called, is a centuries-old concept rooted in Taoist beliefs. According to folklore, the marks on a crane indicate the time and place each of its lives has begun and ended. Every dot bears a different color symbolizing a moment of joy, a sorrow, a promise, or the experience of mortality.

In the world of modern Chinese art, the crane’s dots are often painted with bright colors to represent its significance in the culture. As Chinese artist Liu Peng explains, “It’s a way to show respect for the crane and its long journey through life.”

The idea remains shrouded in mystery, but the meaning of the crane’s dots is no less influential. To this day, the dots remain the subject of art, literature, and film. They represent a potential for eternity—both for our species, but also for the divine.

[duxiaomin-blog]

Chinoiserie as a Symbolic Form: A Cross-Cultural Analysis through Cassirer’s Theory

Ernst Cassirer (July 28, 1874 — April 13, 1945) was a German philosopher renowned for his theory of symbolic forms and his philosophy of culture. His thought is deeply rooted in the Neo-Kantian tradition and has had a significant impact on 20th-century philosophy, cultural studies, and aesthetics. In his famous work, The Philosophy of Symbolic Forms (published in three volumes from 1923 to 1929), he argued that humans do not confront reality directly but rather construct and understand reality through symbolic forms.

Chinoiserie as a Symbolic Form

Analyzed through Cassirer’s theory, Chinoiserie is an 18th-century European reimagining and recreation of Chinese and East Asian culture, essentially functioning as a symbolic form. By selectively adopting and translating Chinese cultural elements such as architecture, decoration, porcelain, clothing, and garden design, European artists and designers created a symbolic system imbued with Eastern allure. Although inspired by Chinese culture, this system actually constructed an “Oriental” symbolic world as perceived by Europeans.

In Chinoiserie, the symbolic form is manifested through the representation and reorganization of Chinese cultural symbols. This symbolic form does not faithfully reproduce Chinese culture but rather redefines these symbols through a European cultural lens, aligning them with the aesthetic and cultural expectations of European society at that time.

The Cultural Mediating Role of Symbolic Forms

According to Cassirer’s theory, symbolic forms serve as intermediaries through which humans understand and interpret the world. Chinoiserie, as a symbolic form, plays a mediating role in cross-cultural exchange. European artists and audiences did not directly engage with authentic Chinese culture but rather understood and imagined the “Orient” through the symbolic system of Chinoiserie.

In symbolic forms, Chinoiserie constructs an idealized and exotic “Other,” a representation that helps Europeans define and understand their own cultural identity through contrast. Therefore, Chinoiserie is not merely an expression of Chinese culture but also a reflection of European culture itself.

In the V&A Museum in the UK, there is a Chinoiserie armchair designed by John Linnell and made by William Linnell in 1754. Linnell drew inspiration from Chinese gardens and architecture, abstracting elements such as Chinese lattice windows and eaves as symbolic motifs and integrating them into the framework of a Western armchair. Additionally, it is evident that the designer partially referenced and replicated Chinese characters as decorative elements, painting them on the black lacquered surface. This surface, as a symbolic form, is not merely a reflection of reality but a recreation of it.

The Chinese elements in Chinoiserie have been reinterpreted by Europeans, becoming a new and imaginative symbolic form. This symbolic form is not confined to authentic Chinese elements but mixes fantasy, exaggeration, and idealization to create an aesthetic style that is both strange and familiar.

Creativity in Symbolic Forms

Cassirer believed that symbolic forms are not merely tools for expressing and communicating experiences but are also ways through which humans create and reshape the world. Through the use and development of symbols, humans continually generate new meanings and worldviews. Chinoiserie is not just a superficial imitation of China in form; it also carries deeper symbolic significance. It symbolizes the European curiosity about foreign cultures, the pursuit of a luxurious lifestyle, and the desire for an idealized world.

As a pioneer of Chinoiserie-style jewelry, ChuCui Palace’s brooch Crane Dancing in Clouds exemplifies the ability to recreate and reshape symbolic forms. The brooch takes the traditional Chinese totem of the “crane” as its theme and uses deconstructed cloud patterns to express a deeper level of Eastern spirituality, one that transcends the material world and pursues harmony and beauty.

The depiction of the cloud pattern is vivid yet retains its ethereal charm. By reinterpreting traditional cloud motifs, the design achieves a complex yet fluid aesthetic that resonates with both traditional and modern contexts, creating a visually rhythmic effect. The recreation of the cloud pattern involves a complex order of dots and lines, adorned with gemstones of varying sizes, and seeks to balance elegance and asymmetry in the composition, evoking a sense of Chinese romanticism where stars intertwine and clouds curl.

The brooch’s design is clearly inspired by traditional Chinese culture — drawing from elements of classical Chinese art, including both meticulous gongbi painting and expressive xieyi painting. Using diamonds and gold as the “brush,” the design outlines and depicts the pure colors of ink and wash, with the meticulousness of gongbi as its foundation and Western inlay techniques as its method. Through a modern design approach, the piece retains the cultural significance of traditional symbols while adapting them to contemporary aesthetics, conveying an idealized vision of Eastern beauty and spiritual aspiration.

Symbolic Forms and Cultural Symbols

In Chinoiserie, the “Orient” is repeatedly presented and reconstructed as a symbol. This symbol not only caters to Europe’s aesthetic interest in Chinese culture but also embodies Europe’s fantasies and projections onto foreign cultures. In this process, the symbolic forms of Chinoiserie become cultural symbols, reflecting the complex attitudes of European society towards globalization, trade, and cross-cultural interaction at the time.

After 1660, cabinets with stands were considered highly prestigious furniture pieces. These cabinets were lavishly decorated and featured numerous drawers for storing valuable and rare items, while also serving as objects of display themselves. This particular cabinet has undergone a ‘japanning’ process, a decorative technique that imitates East Asian lacquerware. Japanning was carried out by skilled craftsmen and also became a popular pastime among affluent women.

The V&A Museum houses a luxurious Chinoiserie lacquer cabinet made in England between 1690–1700. The piece is a fusion of Baroque and Chinoiserie styles, featuring gold and silver lacquerwork, with the base coated in a finish that imitates tortoiseshell. The cabinet’s base and decorative top sections are carved and silvered. The cabinet has two doors adorned with gilt brass corner mounts, pierced hinges, and a lock plate. The front and sides are painted with Chinoiserie landscapes and exotic plants, set against a background that mimics the texture of tortoiseshell.

The combination of Baroque opulence with the delicate precision of Chinese classical style creates a perfect harmony. Europeans clearly showed a deep fascination with this intricate and luxurious exotic aesthetic. The Orient, as an “Other,” was juxtaposed with European luxury, serving as a projection of identity and embodying Europe’s wondrous fantasies of foreign cultures.

Through Cassirer’s theory of symbolic forms, we can more comprehensively examine the complexity and multilayered nature of Chinoiserie as a cultural phenomenon. It is not merely an aesthetic representation of Eastern culture, but also a process of self-positioning and identity formation for Europe when confronting foreign cultures. The symbolic forms embodied in Chinoiserie, through the selective absorption and recreation of Chinese cultural elements, have shaped an idealized and exotic “Other” image. This image not only fulfilled European society’s desire for luxury, mystery, and exoticism but also reflected Europe’s cultural attitudes and psychological states in the process of globalization. By analyzing Chinoiserie, we not only observe the evolution of an aesthetic style but also recognize the profound impact of symbolic forms in cross-cultural exchange.

[dropdeadgxrgeous]

Qi Yewan (🌙)

Apperance

General Bio

Names: Qi Yewan (Yewan Qi in western languages)

Nicknames/Aliases: None, currently

Gender: Female (She/her)

Age: 16

Birthday: March 7th (Pisces)

Species: Jiangshi (Chinese Hopping Vampire)

Parents: Unnamed mother and father

Siblings: None

Pet: Po (Crane)

Nationality: Chinese (specifically from Booxi (Wuxi)

Occupation: Student at Monster High, Student Council Member

Eye Color: Red

Hair Color: Dark Purple

Voice Claim: Tine from Fire Emblem (Courtney Lin)

Preferences

Killer Style: "Dresses and skirts made of silk (preferably with long sleeves), some platform shoes, and a nice hat to complete the look. That's the formula I use when picking my outfits."

Favorite Activity: "My legs may not work well, but I work well with my hands, which makes up for it. So I find hands-on activities to be very enjoyable such as board games and zhezhi (that's origami, zhezhi is what it's called in china.). My favorite activity would have to be painting and pottery, both are so relaxing to do and so pretty to look at once it's done."

Pet Peeve: "Monsters who exploit other peoples problems or weaknesses to make themselves look better, the difference between altruism and self-righteousness is almost as clear as night and day. On a somewhat lighter note, some monsters think it's funny to try and trip me while I'm in the halls...it's not, I'm not a prop for your slapstick comedy."

Favorite Subject: "Painting and Sculpting. My Shui Mo Hua (that means "ink wash painting") style and intricate pottery designs have astonished both teachers and classmates."

Least Favorite Subject: "Dance...doesn't take a genius to figure out why..."

Favorite Color: "Royal Blue, Gold, and Purple"

Favorite Food: "Zongzi. Glutinous rice dumplings filled with adzuki sweet bean paste, mmm!...Did I ever tell you I have quite the sweet fang?"

Personality

Qí has a diligent, polite, and overall sweet personality. She is responsible, a good listener, and always looks out for other peoples best interests, doing her best to make sure others needs are met with the utmost efficiency. It is these traits that allowed her to be a member of the student council*. Qí is also introspective, having a good amount of self-awareness about her thoughts, actions, and ideals.

On the other hand, she is rather unconfident and insecure about herself, especially regarding her appearance in mirrors (so much that she's scared of her own reflection) and her condition (not being able to walk) makes her feel isolated from the others sometimes. She also pretty submissive when it comes to the demands and wills of others, almost never being rebellious and often caving into others requests, even if it's detrimental to her.

Abilities

Life-Force Absorption

Like all Jiangshi, Qí can absorb peoples life force through her fingers, known as their "Chi". Which is similar to how Vampires suck blood from their victims. However, she isn't often shown using this ability, as she considers it "a bit barbaric" 

Enhanced Senses

As with all Jiangshi, Qí can detect someone's presence just by the energy fluctuations in their breath, making it hard to surprise or sneak up on her unless they hold their breath.

Prehensile Tongue

Qí has a long tongue she can stretch and retract, she can it use to grab things

Immortality

Like all Jiangshi, which are undead, she is immortal

Skills

Artistic Skills

Qí is very proficient in art, both in painting and pottery/ceramics to be exact. Her style of painting is referred to as "Shui Mo Hua", which is a type of Chinese ink brush painting that uses black ink and water.

Fun Facts

She shares a voice actress with G3 Draculaura

Her favorite food being Zongzi is based on two weaknesses of the Jiangshi: Glutinous rice and adzuki beans.

She is part of Monster High's student council

While Qi usually hops to get around, she does sometimes use bamboo crutches.

[joancoyechina]

DAY 6: Beijing: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven

Our Beijing guide, Cathy whisked us off first thing this morning to Tiananmen Square where after multiple passport station checks, we entered the world’s largest square capable of holding 1 million people!  Edging the vast expanse are the Great Hall of the People(where the government meets), the Mao mausoleum (where his preserved body is kept), the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Monument to the People and the gate of China (entrance toForbidden City:originally Forbidden to ordinary people).

We of course took photos in front of the parade stand with the enormous picture of Chairman Mao, and found ourselves again having celebrity status.  Person after person asked us to pose for pictures with them and/or their children... fun and funny!

The Forbidden City is the world’s largest imperial palace built in 1420, covering 178 acres and was home to 24 emperors over 492 years! A vast complex of walls, courtyards and ornate buildings it includes 9,999.5 rooms (just less than the 10 thousand rooms they believe God has in Heaven). 

The roofs were made of porcelain tiles and the structures of wood - all with traditional pagoda style roofing. There were no trees in the city for reasons of security and Feng shui, but the intricate carving, gold gilt and paintings on the woodwork added beauty enough.  The three main buildings of the complex are The Hall of Preserving Harmony, the Hall of Central Harmony and my favorite, The Hall of Supreme Harmony.

After lunch we were driven to the Temple of Heaven built at the same time as the Forbidden City where the Emperor came to the temple twice a year, at summer and winter solstice to offer prayers and sacrifices. The architecture was similar with the most conspicuous difference here being the plentiful trees, flowers and plants in the temple gardens.  We stopped to absorb good vibes from one particular 600 year old Juniper tree labeled the Tree of Longevity.  

Numerology appears to be a strongly held belief system here.  At both the Forbidden City and The Temple of Heaven our guide explained the importance of the number of buildings, the number of steps, the number of rows of bricks in the wall etc.  The numbers 2, 8 and 9 are auspicious, whereas 4, 5 and sometimes 7…not so much.  4 seems to be the worst, and is associated with death. Our guide said that the Chinese don’t even want to have license plates containing the number 4 (but it can’t be helped?!).  The culture also attributes specific meaning to lots of other things such as shapes (round = heaven; square=earth), colors (red=luck, joy and happiness; white =death), and animals (crane=longevity and high rank; elephant=happiness and good luck).

Red Theatre was the last stop of our eventful day where we viewed a traditional Chinese acrobatic show.  It was an impressive Cirque de Soleil type production culminating in 11 lovely ladies riding one bike and 5 motorcycles circling in a spherical cage (think Mad Maxx).

We only had energy left to dine at the hotel bar which was actually perfect as we shared a salad, spaghetti and Sauvignon Blanc, with a finalé  of Macha Ice Cream.

[segia-cn]

so here is my design of 仙羽守宫玉对

仙羽(xiān yǔ) means 仙鹤 means red-crowned crane,and 守宫(shǒu gōng) means lizard.both 仙羽 and 守宫 are the ancient Chinese elegant name of crane and lizard.Obviously,in my design,the crane represents Ashrah and the lizard represents Syzoth.

玉对(yù duì)means jade pairs.In ancient China, jade pairs often represented tokens between lovers.A pair of jade can be divided into two, with each party holding half.

Starting from the same first version as the painting, after three changes, I finally finalized the design for the fourth versionAlthough it may look different from the one in this painting, in the future, if there are 仙羽守宫jade pairs in my paintings, they will all have this design.

"May the jade pairs reunite soon,and so do we"

“仙羽守宫重圆时，长聚不相离”

“May we reunite soon”

[yesteryearsnows]

I went to Japan and bought myself so many trinkets: porcelain edition

On day three all of us girls went to the oedo antique market that are held Sunday’s at city center. I basically disappeared for two hours in Adult Disneyland. So many cute and tasteful items! Showa era toys and antique rings and French porcelain and silk obis and my new obsession which is Japanese pottery. There a LOT of regional specialties but the most well known to western collectors are Imari, satsuma and Kutani. The Chinese creators were much better painters (and more valuable) but I find the Japanese ones more charmingly naive? Lol

I couldn’t really understand this sellers description of this decorative sake cup, but after a LOT of googling I ascertained it’s actually Kutani, likely Meiji/taisho. The painting is done really delicately and the signature is really elegant for the era. Likely done by a small studio vs churning them out assembly style for export.This one I paid about 36 which is higher then market value given it has a chip on the lid, but it’s still one of my faves.

This one is an older Imari, definitely pre war, and I think Meiji given the Chinese characters in back along the lines of “longevity and prosperity” which means it was likely made to compete with the Chinese markets (imitate lol) when Japan opened up. What I love is the scalloped edges and the beautiful phoenix/rooster in the center. A lot of Japanese imari can be…badly painted but this maker was pretty skilled. I paid about 32 which is also slightly above retail but I love it. Oedo has great selection but definitely there’s mark up.

Last are the unexpected plates I got from a random store in koenji and these were really lovely! A Meiji era bowl with cranes and three chicks which is an unusual subject, and kinda heartwarming? The bottom is a modern hand painted plate. I can’t believe I turned thirty and immediately turned into my mom and dad who also love porcelain.

[themuseumwithoutwalls]

MWW Artwork of the Day (11/5/22) Ma Lin (Chinese, 1180–1256) Landscape with Great Pine (c. 1225-35) Album leaf; ink & color on silk, 25.2 x 26 cm. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (A.W. Bahr Collection)

Ma's painting turns away from the realism of earlier Song Imperial Painting Academy works in favor of a new abstraction. In the absence of an accompanying poem, the meaning of this complex scene remains unclear. The Daoist-inspired imagery seems to hold out the promise of transcendence or escape. Outdoor altars are places of worship and meditation, cranes are known as the vehicles and companions of Daoist immortals, the evergreen pine is an emblem of longevity, and the full moon recalls the palace of the moon goddess, Chang E, whose hare prepares the elixir of immortality. Yet the immortals have not come, and the moon is far away. The figure is anchored to this world and can no more reach the moon than can the outstretched branches of the pine. There is a sense of brooding and foreboding in the tortuous, restless form of the tree that may well be influenced by the impending threat of Mongol invasion.

[hechiceria]

隐

yìn

This lone character means "to lean on," as the poet is doing to the tree. It could also be yin3, meaning secret or hidden. I think that double meaning could be purposeful, given what's written in the longer portion.

僊人飲鶴

xiān rén yìn hè

This is a simple four word description, meaning "An immortal (xiānrén) gives a crane (hè) something to drink (yìn)." yìn here is a verb that is like the beverage equivalent of "to feed." The reason I think the meaning of concealment and hiddeness is relevant in the other piece is because we do not know for certain who is the immortal, or if they are appearing so. Immortals are more typically depicted amongst the clouds or in grand opulence befitting their status, but here we have a relatively humble depiction of a poet and a younger boy (presumably a servant). (Disclaimer thay I don't have an art degree, lol, and I could be way way way reading into this.)

戚次壬午年

qī cì rén wu3 nián

So, the calligraphy here and on is much harder to read, especially as it gets into running script, and I don't trust that my transcription of the characters is entirely correct or this translation is correct. That said, this is date stuff.

Qī cì is some sort of ordinal, because cì literally means time; think of it like the nd in 2nd. I have no idea what qī is except possibly a surname, some ordinal system I don't know, or maybe its referring to the character's literal meaning of grief? As in time of grief? Beats me. Mostly likely I think this is referring to some larger era.

Rénwu3 refers to the 19th year of the 60 year calender zodiac cycle, which I believe is the year of the water horse. Nián means year, so overall this portion means 19th year of whatever era cì denotes (qī era).

Edit: @sibeliusxx translated this also, and they definitely got some stuff right that I misread! What I thought was 戚 qī was actually 歲 suì, meaning year. I think their translation of suìcì rénwu3 nián as referring to 1942, 1882, 1822, or mayyyyybe 1762 is most likely. (Based on preservation and likeliness, 1942 and 1882 just seem like better bets, but again. No art degree).

写袗写車

xie3 zhen3 xie3 chē

Yeah, this is where the running script screwed me, so you can basically take this with a pile of salt. I've no idea if any of this is right, but I'm taking a stab at it.

Xie3 means to write, and also refers to painting in the calligraphic styles, aka painting scenes and pictures using only the calligraphy strokes so you are not actually painting (huā) but writing (xie3)

Zhen3 refers to a piece of fabric and chē now means car but used to mean something like machine or lathe, so I think zhen3 is referring to the long rectangular piece of this and chē refers to the top, curved piece. This is entirely speculation. Godspeed.

Edit: @sibeliusxx also made good corrections here, prompting me to reexamine my transcription. I think they're right that the last character is 南 nán, meaning south, and frankly I can't unsee it now that it's been pointed out! Big whoops on my part.

I still think the first character is 寫 xie3, but I'm wondering if the second character might be 於 yú, which is a preposition indicating where or when. (I did a little practice running script to see if I could get the character to look something like that, and I was surprised it actually looked pretty close? The 方 radical got really crowded to the point it looked like the 衣 radical in 袗. That gives the reading:

寫於X南

xie3 yú X nán

Since I don't think that third character matches up with any of the Chinese provinces I know end in nán (河南，湖南，海南, 云南) or the list of larger cities I checked, I'm kinda stumped.

Anyhow, thanks to @sibeliusxx for their translation and corrections ♡

Thank you!

we got this at a yard sale and I desperately want to know what is going on in it. from googling it seems likely to be a depiction of eleventh century chinese recluse poet Lin Pu (or Bu) who really liked plum blossoms and cranes. but can anyone tell me what the text says, if anything? google lens is being no help at all, it's like "please take a picture of the text you want to translate"

[blazedrawsstuff]

Say hello to the Jiangshi girl from Booxi (Wuxi), China!

Bio down below under the "read more"!

Qí Yèwǎn

Daughter of a Jiangshi (Chinese Hopping Vampire)

Parent

A Jiangshi

Age

16

Killer Style

Dresses and skirts made of silk (preferably with long sleeves), some platform shoes, and a nice hat to complete the look. That's the formula I use when picking my outfits.

Freaky Flaw

My legs are rather stiff. As such, I usually have to hop around in order to get anywhere, with my arms outstretched for balance. Other than that, I'm not that very confident in myself...to the point I'm scared of my own reflection!...it's silly, I know.

Pet

A red-crowned crane who I named "Po". My father found an abandoned crane egg when I was 13 years old. I asked if I could have him as a pet to which dad agreed, on the condition I can be responsible with him. Helpful and loyal to us, I can say that I've done a good job with that.

Favorite Activity

My legs may not work well, but I work well with my hands, which makes up for it. So I find hands-on activities to be very enjoyable such as board games and zhezhi (that's origami, zhezhi is what it's called in china.). My favorite activity would have to be painting and pottery, both are so relaxing to do and so pretty to look at once it's done.

Pet Peeves

Monsters who exploit other peoples problems or weaknesses to make themselves look better, the difference between altruism and self-righteousness is almost as clear as night and day. On a somewhat lighter note, some monsters think it's funny to try and trip me while I'm in the halls...it's not, I'm not a prop for your slapstick comedy.

Favorite Subjects

Painting and Sculpting. My Shui Mo Hua (that means "ink wash painting") style and intricate pottery designs have astonished both teachers and classmates.

Least Favorite Subject

Dance...doesn't take a genius to figure out why...

Favorite Colors

Royal Blue, Gold, and Purple

Favorite Food

Zongzi. Glutinous rice dumplings filled with adzuki sweet bean paste, mmm!...Did I ever tell you I have quite the sweet fang?

Friends

Jinafire Long

Ghoulia Yelps

Draculaura

Finnegan Wake

Polly Wog (OC)

Abilities

Life-Force Absorption

Like all Jiangshi, Qí can absorb peoples life force through her fingers, known as their "Chi". Which is similar to how Vampires suck blood from their victims. However, she isn't often shown using this ability, as she considers it "a bit barbaric" 

Enhanced Senses

As with all Jiangshi, Qí can detect someone's presence just by the energy fluctuations in their breath, making it hard to surprise or sneak up on her unless they hold their breath.

Prehensile Tongue

Qí has a long tongue she can stretch and retract, she can it use to grab things

Immortality

Like all Jiangshi, which are undead, she is immortal

Skillset

Artistic Skills

Qí is very proficient in art, both in painting and pottery/ceramics to be exact. Her style of painting is referred to as "Shui Mo Hua", which is a type of Chinese ink brush painting that uses black ink and water.

Personality

Qí has a diligent, polite, and overall sweet personality. She is responsible, a good listener, and always looks out for other peoples best interests, doing her best to make sure others needs are met with the utmost efficiency. It is these traits that allowed her to be a member of the student council*. Qí is also introspective, having a good amount of self-awareness about her thoughts, actions, and ideals.

On the other hand, she is rather unconfident and insecure about herself, especially regarding her appearance in mirrors (so much that she's scared of her own reflection) and her condition (not being able to walk) makes her feel isolated from the others sometimes. She also pretty submissive when it comes to the demands and wills of others, almost never being rebellious and often caving into others requests, even if it's detrimental to her.

Trivia/Additional Information

The Qí part of her name is actually her last name, as in many eastern cultures including China, people are usually referred by their surname/family name first, then their given name. Qí (奇) is not only a traditional Chinese last name, but is also the term used for one's life force, which Jiangshi are known to feed on.

Her given name, Yèwǎn (夜晚) means "night", which matches with Jiangshi being creatures that hunt during the night. It was also based on the Nightwalker Heartless from Kingdom Hearts, which take the appearance of Jiangshi.

Her pet, Po's name means "soul" or "spirit" and is based off the Chinese Daoist concept of three huns (heavenly souls) and seven pos (earthly souls)

Her favorite food being Zongzi is based on two weaknesses of the Jiangshi: Glutinous rice and adzuki beans.

Her being part of the student council is based on how the Jiangshi are usually depicted as figures within the Qing Dynasty government, wearing the traditional uniform of said government.

[urmomsstuntdouble]

congrats on 100! is it possible for you to write some headcanons for china?

of course! and ty! also, quick shoutout to @mysticalmusicwhispers for some of the inspiration for this :)

He is a firm believer in the concept of chaotic time (i will be discussing various interpretations of time as they are described in The Fourth Turning by Neil Howe and William Strauss, as their books about American generations live rent free in my brain), which is defined as “history having no path. Events follow one another randomly, and any effort to impute meaning to their whirligig succession is hopeless.” It’s sort of the original way that people percieved time, and this interpretation of time can be found in a lot of indigenous cultures, as well as in popular nihilism. I think part of why Yao thinks this is because of all the changes in political leadership he’s had throughout his life, which prevent him from being able to apply an overall narrative to the universe. This can make some things like diplomacy a little difficult for him, as many of the other world powers are proponents of linear time- The idea of “time as a unique (and usually progressing) story with an absolute beginning and an absolute end.” 

That’s not to say that Yao is terrible at diplomacy- He’s actually very good at it, and can talk people into buying just about anything from him. 

He has an entire house that’s just filled with his old stuff. Clothes, pottery, paintings, manuscripts, trinkets, et cetera. It’s not very organized, though, and some things can never be moved because if somebody were to touch them, the objects might get damaged. 

His weapon of choice is a gùn staff, when it comes to gun-less fighting. I think he likes to bop people on the head with it when they’re being annoying. 

This is sort of based on some ancient chinese military history that i don’t fully recall so I’m not sure what to type into google but. very deadly with the gùn. 

On that note, he’s very well practiced in both Northern and Southern style Shaolin kung fu, but you probably wouldn’t know that unless you’d been around him for a while. He gives me massive “old person doing tai chi in the park” vibes. Where kung fu is concerned, I think his favorite animal thingy would be the crane? I feel like he’d really like a lot of crane forms even though he’s a bit short for it. (also im very sorry if im getting this wrong or talking about it in the wrong way! i pracitce shaolin kung fu, although i haven’t been able to really engage with it during the pandemic, so my memory might not be 10/10)

His spice tolerance?? through the roof. The things this man eats could kill a human

To me, Yao feels like one of the most human characters in hetalia, because he’s the oldest. Part of this is just because he’s the oldest, so he’s been through the most stuff- While other prominent characters are depicted as being kind of messy young adults who haven’t figured everything out yet, Yao has a calmness about him due to his age. Don’t get me wrong he’s still a bit messy, but he’s messy by choice?? like. from @peonycats latest china drawing. that was voluntary. But at the same time, I think he could fit the wise old mentor trope if he had the patience to be a mentor. He’s lived through so much that he has experience with pretty much everything one could encounter. This is also a double edged sword, because it can make him a bit impatient, especially with things he feels he’s already seen and done before. Sometimes he’s just over it, ya know? (side note i feel like that’s smth he’d be able to bond with India over- being done with all these modern kids who want to do stuff that he’s just endlessly bored by.)

He has a love-hate relationship with C-dramas. On the one hand, they’re interesting stories and imbue nostalgia. On the other hand, they can be super historically inaccurate at times- One complaint I’ve heard is that the hairstyles are often inaccurate for the sake of making the actors look really pretty. 

short king

His government is often wary and not trusting of him, because they see him as being a sort of relic from previous times. Like a potential threat to their sovereignty? idk, just. mutual distrust. 

idk where this came from but I’ve seen the hc that one time the italy brothers were like yo you knew our grandpa right? we just wanna talk- and then china goes yah we used to fuck and i think that’s so funny

He nibbles at his food, eating sort of like a bird, and does the same with water. 

Despite being kind of thin himself, will absolutely pester the shit out of his kids (even if theyre on bad terms) for not eating enough. in the same breath he’ll also berate them for eating unhealthily, and take huge offense if they won’t eat his food. like even if they’re just not hungry that time yao will develop a grudge and he’ll make sure you remember that you didn’t want to eat his food that one time. how rude of you >:(

i probably have more thoughts but theyre either too jumbled/not well worded in my brain or not present at the moment. i hope you enjoyed these!

writing requests

[chelsfic]

Accident Forgiveness - Part 2 - Bucky Barnes x Reader

Part One | Masterlist

A/N: Part two!! This is so very fun to write. I hope you enjoy! Thanks to @sabinemorans​ for listening to me talk about it! Reader gets a nickname in this one, because I can’t deal with Y/N.

Summary: Your wrist is finally healed after your run-in with a certain brooding freight train. You score a great deal on an adorable little motorbike and fix it up with your dad. All you want is a nice Sunday ride...what could go wrong?

Warnings: Fluff, Crack, automobile accidents...

---

The bike calls to you. It’s leaning up against a garage with a hand-written “For Sale” sign on it. It looks old, rusted, and well-used. Considering the low price scrawled on the sign you’re betting it needs some work.

You need it.

You pull out your phone and open your frequent contacts.

“Hey dad? How would you feel about coming down to the city with your pick-up this weekend?”

Your dad’s gruff voice rumbles over the line, “Sounds awful. When and where?”

---

You spend the weekend at your dad’s place in White Plains, fixing up the bike in the garage. Under the layers of rust and grime, it turns out to be a 2001 Honda Super Cub. Beyond a tune up and an oil change, the only thing really wrong with it is the body. Nothing a fresh coat of paint can’t fix. 

“This is a nice little bike, kiddo,” your dad congratulates you, wiping grease and sweat from his brow with an old rag. “You gonna keep it here or ride it around the city?”

You’re perched on a tall stool at your dad’s workbench, your short legs dangling as you consider, “It’d be fun to have it with me in the city on the weekends. I just gotta convince my landlord to let me keep it in his storage shed...I don’t want to leave it on the street…”

You hop off the stool to run your hand over the motorcycle’s refinished body. You’ve painted it in a sleek two-tone pattern: red and cream. Hawkguy is going to be so jealous.

“I don’t think it’ll be a problem.”

---

“Nah,” Clint waves you off as he unlocks the door to his apartment. You’ve been lurking out in the hallway waiting for him to get home. 

“What do you mean, ‘nah’?” you whine, following him inside without asking. Pizza Dog jumps up to greet you, nearly knocking you down in his enthusiasm. You smile and give him a quick hug before starting again. “You still owe me, Barton!”

Clint’s head has disappeared into the refrigerator and he emerges with a Chinese food box and his mouth already stuffed with lo mein.

“Wahhh doo eein?!” he chews his food, swallowing and trying again, “Whadya mean? I threw you an apology party, didn’t I? You know how long it’ll take me to clean out that shed to fit a motorcycle inside?”

“C’mon, Clint! If I leave it on the street it’ll get stolen. Or it’ll end up collateral damage in one of your little superhero battles,” you wheedle. You walk into the kitchenette and grab his arm, looking up at him with your biggest puppy dog eyes, “C’monnnn!”

Clint sighs dramatically and finally gives in.

“On one condition...”

---

The bike struggles to reach 30 miles per hour under your combined weight and Clint’s massive form looks ridiculous clinging to you on the back of the little motor bike. But you have to admit--this is pretty damn fun. 

“Weee!” Clint yells from behind you as you putter through the streets of Brooklyn with a giant smile on your face.

---

People are passing you and giving you dirty looks as you make your way over the Brooklyn Bridge. Well, futz them. You’re enjoying your Sunday afternoon ride. You feel like a real rebel without a cause in your worn leather jacket and the bulbous, cherry red helmet you bought to match your bike. Nobody needs to know the saddle bag strapped to the back is full of library books and a take-out container from your favorite bakery.

The sun is just getting low and it’s orange-red glow reflects on the surface of the East River as you chug along. The sounds of car engines and the occasional curse from an annoyed motorist are suddenly interrupted by a long, deafening screech. You glance over your shoulder and your eyes widen in alarm as a black SUV barrels through traffic, heedlessly colliding with other vehicles as it clears a path over the bridge. 

“HOLY SH--”

The SUV screams past and you barely have time to process what you’re seeing before you’re suddenly, brutally thrown from your bike. You tuck your limbs into your body and slam into the cement with enough force to knock the wind out of you. You roll several feet before skidding to a stop. The leather jacket mostly saves you from road rash but your hands are a bloody mess and it feels like your whole middle is one big bruise. What the fuck was that? It felt almost like someone pushed you off but that’s--

You look up just in time to see your bike zooming--well, doing it’s best to zoom--away with a dark figure riding it.

Oh, hell no!

---

The red-wigged impostor is in handcuffs and leaning against the side of the SUV with a surly expression. Bucky glares at the woman, clearly connected with the Red Room and attempting to frame Natasha for the string of murders she committed over the last week.

“Don’t feel like talking, huh?” he shrugs, removing a knife from his belt and flipping it expertly in his hand. “Don’t worry, mladshaya sestra...I’ll help you find the words.”

The woman refuses to meet his eyes, fixing her gaze in the middle distance instead. Only the faintest sneer curling her lips indicates that she’s heard him at all.

Sam lands gracefully a few feet away and is already talking into his ear piece to call in backup. 

“Lotta damage, here,” he states, glancing around at the crashed cars and the wrecked motorcycle. “You’re almost as bad as Banner, Buck. Think you can manage one mission without smashing something?”

“Hey, I captured the target, didn’t I?” Bucky rolls his eyes and slips the knife back into his belt holster. 

Clint finally arrives, huffing and puffing after trying to keep up with the super soldier. He’s bent almost double, catching his breath, when his eyes light on the familiar red and cream motor bike lying mangled on the ground. 

“Hey...isn’t that--?”

All three superhero’s heads snap up as you come limping up to the scene. You’re carrying your helmet at your side and your hair is an impressive tangle whipping around your head in the breeze. When you lay eyes on the wrecked Super Cub you let out a shriek.

“MY BIKE!!”

Bucky freezes in place, his eyes wide and every muscle tensed in anxiety.

“You gotta be shittin’ me,” he mumbles under his breath. 

Clint eyes him accusingly. He is never going to hear the end of this…

You stand there looking down at your ruined bike and thinking about all the adventures you’d planned to have with her. You were going to take her to Coney Island...Rockaway beach...maybe even take a road trip to the Berkshires… Your poor sweet Cubby didn’t ask for this!

“You!” you snarl, marching up to Bucky with your hands on your hips. “Why is it always you!? Do you have it out for me or something?”

Clint snorts and mutters, “He’s got somethin’ for you…”

“SHUT UP!” you and Bucky both yell simultaneously.

You turn back to Bucky and arch your brow in expectation, “Well?”

The super-spy ex-assassin Avenger stumbles over his words, “I--uh, well...I didn’t mean...I didn’t know it was--”

“Didn’t know it was ME?” you finish for him with renewed fury. “Bucky! You can’t just go around shoving people off their motorcycles!”

“‘S hardly a motorcycle…,” he mumbles angrily. “More of a scooter if anything.”

“You! You...ugh!” you fall on him in a flurry of practically useless punches aimed at his chest. Bucky stands there looking bemused as you rain down fury with your tiny fists on his solid, immovable muscles.

“Hey!” Clint shouts in an excellent approximation of a frustrated dad voice. “Enough! Don’t do a hit on Bucky! That’s not nice.”

He puts his arms around you from behind and drags you away from the super soldier who looks--infuriatingly--unscathed. 

“But he stole my bike and wrecked it!” you whine, finally going limp and dropping from Clint’s hold.

Clint rolls his eyes to the sky like a martyr. 

“And do two wrongs make a right, young lady?”

“Pshh,” you scoff, shaking your head and leaning over your bike to check the saddle bag. You flip it open to find that the box containing your cherry pie has been pulverized and…

“MY LIBRARY BOOKS!!!”

---

The next morning you’re awoken by the cacophony of sounds coming from the alleyway behind the building. It sounds like Monty Python building the frickin’ Trojan Rabbit. You growl and roll out of bed, falling to the floor and catching yourself on your bandaged hands, cursing at the stinging pain.

“Stupid…’vengers...think they can do whatever they want...just cuz they save the world sometimes…” you’re muttering under your breath as you stagger to your feet and pull the cord on your blinds to look out your bedroom window. 

The door to the supply shed is open and two guys are bent over your wrecked bike. You throw the window open in an instant and climb out onto the fire escape.

“Hey!” you bellow. “Uh--stop! That’s my bike! I know the Avengers, buds! And I can have them down here so fast--”

The two men crane their necks to look up at you. One of them is wearing a welding mask but the other one is definitely--

“Bucky?”

He looks up at you with a sheepish smile and gives a little wave with his metal hand.

“Hey, Kit Kat…” he greets and you frown in confusion until you look down and realize you’re wearing a baggy nightshirt you’d got at Hershey Park. It’s emblazoned with the Kit Kat logo. Even from two stories up you can see the gleam of humor in his eyes. You can also see...a lot more. He’s wearing a black tank top that shows off his impossibly toned shoulders and back. Your brain short circuits momentarily as you rake your eyes down his form. 

The man beside him flips up the mask and you see he’s an older guy with a sharp goatee. 

“Are we taking a social break or are we getting to work, Barnes? You know I gave up brunch to do this for you. Brunch,” the man voice drips with sarcasm.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, alright, Tony,” Bucky shakes his head and turns back to the bike. 

Wait, Tony as in--?

“Hey!” you call down and Bucky lifts his head up to lock eyes with you. How can those blue eyes still have so much power from so far away?? “You still owe me for the library books!”

Bucky laughs and turns back to the bike.

“I mean it! I have a clean library record, Bucky! I’m gonna have fines!”

“Don’t push it, doll!” he calls as Tony ignites the blow torch.

---

A week later you scoot up to the curb on a side street near the Bedford Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library. Cubby has been restored to her former glory thanks to Bucky and Tony’s loving care and you give her an affectionate pat as you dismount and walk down the street toward the squat, brick library building. There may be grander libraries in New York but this is your neighborhood branch and it feels like home. You mutter and shake your head at the prospect of having to pay replacement fines for the books that Bucky ruined.

The librarian behind the desk is about your age with dyed bright red hair and a sleeve of tattoos that look like children’s book illustrations. Cool. 

“Hey--um,” you roll your eyes in irritation at yourself. “I have to pay some replacement fees? I kind of...got cherry pie all over some books.”

The librarian laughs good-naturedly and pulls up your account on her computer. She asks you for the titles and frowns at her screen. 

“Looks like...yeah--they’ve already been paid for,” she tells you with a shrug. “Guess you have a mysterious benefactor.”

You smile faintly and shake your head. Mysterious, my ass. You thank her and you’re about to leave when she stops you. 

“Do you want to pick up your hold?”

You don’t remember putting anything on hold...but you’ve had occasional bouts of late-night enthusiasm that resulted in excessive library catalog searches, maybe you forgot...

“Uh...sure,” you say and watch as she disappears into an office behind the circulation desk.

She returns a few minutes later with a slim paperback volume in her hands. She scans the barcode and slips the receipt into the book.

“Enjoy!” she says with a smile and you thank her once again. 

You glance down at the cover as you’re walking out and you let out a bark of laughter even as irritation spikes behind your eyes. 

“Motorcycle Safety: Basics for Beginners”

Bucky Frickin’ Barnes...

Tags: @watsonwise​ 

A/N: “Don’t do a hit on Bucky”-- yes that was a McElroy reference. 

[duxiaomin-blog]

Romantic Sentiment in Modern Jewelry

People often overlook the precise meaning behind the widely used term 'romantic,' but upon closer examination, it can be described as a strong, passionate, and idealized emotional experience. It is closely linked to love, fantasy, and idealism. The concept of romance involves the pursuit of beautiful things, a yearning for dreams and miracles, and an experience of emotional depth and uniqueness. In modern jewelry, there is a unique romantic sentiment that cleverly combines art and craftsmanship to create enchanting masterpieces. It is not just a piece of adornment but a crystallization of a moment in time, reflecting the ever-changing dynamics of the era and the fluctuations of emotions. Its idealistic sentiment allows jewelry to transcend being merely a symbol of luxury in this challenging modern society; it becomes a treasure that expresses individuality, records love, and preserves cultural heritage.

Alessio Boschi Rumi Ring

Italian jewelry brand Alessio Boschi once drew inspiration from the renowned Persian poet Rumi to create a remarkable mechanical ring named "Rumi." Opening the ring cover and manipulating the side disc, five women dressed in white delicately dance, while the ring's body resembles the domes found in Islamic mosques and palace architecture, adorned with repeating, radiating, and geometric patterns. The use of blue turquoise, emeralds, and mother-of-pearl imparts a sense of purity, elegance, and tranquility to the ring. The entire piece not only surprises with its mechanism and dynamic dance but also reveals a pristine aspect of an idealized world and a touch of the mystical tendencies within Sufism, an Islamic tradition.

ChuCui Palace Dancing in Clouds Necklace

Another jewelry brand that takes a unique approach to romantic sentiment is ChuCui Palace, the predecessor of which was an Italian Roman jewelry family in the mid-20th century. Italian interest in Chinese aesthetics dates back to the 13th century, with a rich history of collecting Oriental art. During the peak of Chinoiserie in the mid-18th century in Europe, ChuCui Palace successfully developed a distinctive and influential Chinese-inspired style. Therefore, in the mid-20th century, ChuCui Palace continued this longstanding tradition and recreated a distinctive romantic sentiment rooted in a deep understanding of traditional Chinese aesthetics.

One of their works, the "Dancing in Clouds" necklace, doesn't rush to depict the crane's form from a traditional realistic perspective. Instead, it emphasizes the observation of the crane's demeanor, cultural emotions, and aesthetic feelings in the Eastern context as a source of creative experience. Thus, the piece not only captures the characteristics of the crane but also expresses an aesthetically considered feature in an abstract sense. The work emulates the purity and elegance of color in traditional Chinese ink wash painting, featuring a classic asymmetric composition seen in Eastern art. The crane's neck is abstracted into long lines, forming a contrast between complexity and simplicity with the densely curved tail feathers. The form of the beak and the intertwining tail feathers convey a unique aesthetic tension. The emphasis is on expressing intuition rather than realism, revealing an admiration for the crane's "divine posture" and embracing the characteristics of promoting imagination found in romanticism.

Romantic Period Jewelry with Nature-themed Patterns

In addition to traces found in Islamic and Chinese cultures, true Romantic Period jewelry in history, specifically early Victorian jewelry, reflects the youth of the new queen. This period coincides with Queen Victoria's courtship and marriage. Nostalgia for the medieval era was prevalent in England, and artists incorporated medieval elements into their designs. Renaissance and medieval themes were ubiquitous in jewelry design, with nature-themed patterns dominating this era. Bouquets, branches, leaves, grapes, and berries were prominent in jewelry, and floral symbolism was particularly highlighted during this period. Serpentine motifs also reached their zenith, with serpent jewelry being considered a vivid symbol of wisdom and eternity.

Queen Victoria's Serpent Engagement Ring

One of the most famous pieces in this style is the serpent engagement ring that Queen Victoria received from Prince Albert around 1839. This ring is considered a symbol of eternal love. Instead of being adorned with diamonds, the serpent's head is embellished with jade, Queen Victoria's birthstone. The serpent's tail enters its mouth, forming an unbroken circle, symbolizing their enduring love. The Victorian era was marked by a profound fascination with the natural world, and snakes, as highly exotic and mysterious creatures, gained widespread popularity during this period. This influence significantly impacted their status in modern jewelry, underscoring their enduring symbolic significance and mystique.

In the romantic spirit of contemporary jewelry, akin to the dreams of art, each piece becomes a unique masterpiece of design and craftsmanship, outlining timeless portraits of love and ideal worlds. Alessio Boschi's Rumi ring and ChuCui Palace's 'Dancing in Clouds' necklace stand as perfect interpretations of romanticism with their profound emotional expressions, unique insights, and designs. These jewels are not merely accessories but rather the crystallization of emotions, carrying the steadfast pursuit of romantic ideals and fantasies. The legacy of serpent jewelry endures, with classical elements from the Victorian era rejuvenated in modern times, bearing witness to the timeless allure of romantic sentiments. In this enchanting realm of gemstones, each piece weaves profound stories, sketching precious emotional legacies, injecting deeper and more poetic meanings into contemporary jewelry creation inspired by romanticism.