Taiwan

[Images of a local temple in Taipei, Taiwan. Typical Asian colors, typical design,
an abundance of red and gold and lots of icons and symbols]

As I now prepare to leave Taiwan I begin to reflect upon my experiences and personal growth in a foreign land and foreign culture. When I first arrived, my point of view on the Taiwanese design style was, well….lets say ‘conservative.’ I found myself completely overwhelmed by the over use of vibrant color and opulent detail and the peculiar mix of old and new, it was a far cry from the cultural design imprint stamped into my brain. I think it just put my design sensibility on over load and eventually forced me to open myself up to true Asian design and the realization that this was not Asian infused design as I had more often seen in the western hemisphere.

In time, I began to appreciate the cultural significance of the ornate details and liberal use of red and gold. In context it began to make sense and allowed for acceptance and ultimately, appreciation of this new world of design I was exposed to. Without going into great detail about the popular elements of Asian design, red and gold are auspicious colors in Asia; being a very superstitious culture, this explains quite a lot about what you see and what people are doing.

So I set out to broaden my horizons and to learn and grow from this opportunity, luckily I’ve had the pleasure of meeting several interior designers, some local and some from other countries practicing here in Taiwan. We’ve had some interesting discussions about Feng Shui and it always boils down to what I call ‘common sense design’ combined with a strong dose of superstition….but that’s a whole other conversation!

In two short years of hunting for interesting objects, I have come to the conclusion that one great find always leads to an educational experience which always leads to another. This in itself has made the hunt more interesting because my curiosity always gets the best of me and I end up researching for all the details I can uncover.

At first I began searching for traditional Taiwanese furniture, they say that it has some very distinct characteristics, some not seen anywhere else in Asia. I quickly learned that finding anything old from Taiwan is literally impossible, so my energy was quickly diverted to objects from other parts of Asia.

My disappointment was short lived as I scoured antique shops, warehouses and back alley stores I found a variety of things, the most exciting being a set of commemorative ancestral portrait paintings from China. I was quickly told that these have become quite rare in China; apparently families have been selling them off because they needed money. Additionally, the art itself has completely died out because of the camera and painted portraits are no longer being commissioned; a real shame if you ask me.

By now you are probably asking, “What are commemorative ancestral paintings?” I’m happy to tell you because I find them absolutely fascinating; they are commissioned portraits by family members, sometimes while the person was still living, but often after the person had died. It is believed that one could communicate with the ancestral spirit by hanging his/her portrait and praying, burning incenses, placing food, wine, flowers etc. on an altar in front of the portrait. Many of these paintings are quite damaged since they were exposed to the elements for decades, so restorations are to be expected.

Paintings done during various periods contain certain elements, those of the Qing dynasty always have the person faced forward with a solemn expression on his/her face, they were usually seated in a chair with a rounded back, which indicated status or honor, and was always draped with patterned silk or tiger skin. The sitter wore a robe that identified his/her rank, a hat and sometimes there was a rug or carpet on the floor. There are significant differences in finished portraits if the person was of civil rank, military or from the Imperial family.

[Pair of ancestral paintings-partially restored, husband and wife. Wife's painting appears much older, indicating an earlier death than her husband. Wife's headdress has scripting which translate to "Heaven gives this order" a term which adds power to words and often came before a message from the Chinese Emperor, giving a title to someone. Painted on rice paper and mounted on silk; legitimate portraits are typically 180x115cm, forgeries are often smaller]

During this same period, robes indicated rank and had a rank badge/patch with details which identified his/her status. Symbols for civil ranks included the crane, pheasant, peacock, goose etc. in level of importance and military ranks with the lion, leopard, tiger, bear, panther etc. Experts can authenticate portraits by clues in each painting which include the above badges but also include details in rug patterns and rug designs.

[Both square badges indicate civil ranking of the imperial court, the female appears to be of a higher rank in society because of the crane, the male of a lower status but both in court robes. Wide borders and intricate detail around the badges indicate this is late 18^th- early19th century of the Ch'ing Dynasty]

Only the better quality portraits included rugs because of the time and expense in painting them. Rugs were considered a luxury and their presence enhanced the status of the subject. Rugs were usually painted using the pointillism technique to represent the knots of the rug.

A final important detail about ancestral portraits is that the face was painstaking painted in great detail to ensure that it reflected their ancestor’s image and not someone else. There was tremendous fear that if the painting did not resemble their ancestor, their prayers and offerings might go to the wrong person.

[Both individuals have somber facial expressions, the male appears to be wearing a court hat with gold finial and no jeweled knob at the top, this verifies his ranking at the 7th level of civil rank (there are 9 levels, 9th is the lowest) The female has a very ornate headdress and I am still researching the significance this carries]

Intriguing isn’t it?

A second interesting discovery was a wooden coin chest found in a dank and dirty store with furniture and things piled in front and on top, making it virtually unnoticeable. Once we cleared the way, I found a sturdy wood chest with decorative elements-iron plates and studs; the best part was it was completely finished on all four sides, quite unusual I was told. The construction is easy to identify, with mortise and tenon joints, it appears to be elm and the wood is rock like, confirming age. There is a small door in the top which allows for access to the inside which was apparently used to store coins and other important items of small size. There seem to be conflicting reports of its origin, either from China or Burma, but it is said to date to the early to mid 1800's.

[Large rectangular coin chest with iron fittings of bolts and studs, detail is
complete on all four sides, considered rare]

These last photos are just fun finds I thought I’d share. Below are some really cool, round red cloth lanterns with iron fretting, a reproduction Qing Dynasty horse, an old bronze statute, terracotta warrior statues, some quirky chairs and life sized Thai statues and of course the typical mounted ‘wheel’ and offering urn.

I'm certain to have fun mixing these with all my other treasures; it’s a good thing I love eclectic design as you can imagine that nothing I own matches!!

All in all, living in Taiwan has been an eye opening experience and it reaffirms my thoughts that we are all students in life and our life experiences just scratch the surface of the world of design we are yet to discover.

Bedazzled in Thailand

[Thai dancer at a temple, their fingers really do bend backward as you often see depicted on Thai statues]

A trip to the heart of southeast Asia lands you smack dab in the kingdom of Thailand; a land ruled by a constitutional monarch, King Rama IX, the ninth king of the Chakri Dynasty.

Upon your arrival you immediately realize their King is much beloved and revered, with his image just about everywhere you look. This King began his rule at a young age and has reigned for more than half a century, making him the longest reigning Thai monarch.

[At the Kings Palace there are numerous temples and buildings with an extraordinary
amount of gold, jewel encrusted statues and large stone statues,
the architectural details are absolutely amazing]

His reign is marked by numerous milestones; he initiated projects to protect the environment and encourage re-forestation, years before being green was fashionable, his personal intervention and technical knowledge saved the capital from annual flooding and over 2000 of his projects address social, medical and economy issues at village levels throughout the nation. Rightfully so, this King is concerned with the well fare and well being of his country and his people; and in return they honor him daily with their undying devotion.

Buddhism is the dominant religion in Thailand and it has also become a center for learning and knowledge. The Buddha philosophy was founded by a prince who abandoned his legacy to identify with those who were suffering and to pursue Truth and Enlightenment. His formula for alleviating suffering is known as the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, sending the message that every being has it within him/herself to attain peace; starting first with the individual and then expanding, to families, communities, even companies and countries.

[Yellow flowers often adorn Buddhas and altars, white elephants in the center of downtown Bangkok,
the typical Sala Thai seen in all the temples and important buildings]

There are three National symbols which are seen virtually everywhere:
1) The Ratchaphruek, a yellow cluster flowering plant, reflects the color of Buddhism and the color of Monday-the day of the kings birth.
2) The elephant, a national animal which is directly related to the livelihood of the Thai people throughout its history. The white elephant is specifically connected to the King because it is a noble beast of special importance, exemplifying the king's honor and glory. A white elephant is a gift fit only for a king and to acquire one during his reign is said to bring prosperity and happiness throughout the kingdom.
3) “Sala Thai” or Thai-style arbor, this type of architecture is said to reflect the knowledge of the Thai people and is immediately recognized as Thai style.

[Vishnu with 4 arms, Garuda-1/2 bird, 1/2 man, Naga, Yak guarding the temple-standing over
2 stories tall and covered in colored jewel tones]

While traveling around Thailand I was struck by the impressive structures, massive amounts of gold and bright colors and the iconography which includes the four-armed figure of Vishnu; the Garuda (half man, half bird); the eight-armed Shiva; elephant-headed Ganesh; the Naga, which appears as a snake, dragon or cobra; and the ghost-banishing giant Yak.

[The entrance and wall, the pagoda, the cemetery-small pagodas are attached by a string
to keep the spirits connected to one another in the after life]

Most Temples have the following elements in common, a Sala or pavilion used for ceremonies, feasts or sermons, a gong tower for making announcements or to wake the monks or begin prayers, and an entrance which is often decorated and brightly colored, surrounding white walls to separate the monks from the lay people. The highest building in the temple is the pagoda or 'chedi' which always takes the form of a lotus which symbolizes enlightenment and is said to represent the different states of life: the base=hell, the middle=humanity, the top=the heavenly state and beyond the top=nirvana. Often there is another building used to enshrine relics of another famous abbot, cemeteries with small pagodas which hold the ashes of famous monks and small lakes or ponds which include fish for feeding, but never for fishing.

There are many different types of temples, found in caves, in forests, on mountains, temples on islands, temples on shores of the river, etc. Each one is built in an influencing style depending on its location, for example, in the north some are built with a Burmese influence, in the northeast, temples are built with a Laotian influence.

[ Thailand has something for everyone to enjoy]

Thailand is a must see destination for the curious and adventurous or anyone in need of a change from the mundane daily scenery you might be accustomed. I left with my senses titillated from the use of color, the architecture, the statues and rich culture. It was both inspiring and motivating for my design sensibilities and I will continue to look through my photographs for inspiration for years to come.

[Two life sized Thai statues purchased in Phukett add an unexpected twist to our homes interior]

From a design perspective I found myself dreaming about how to use the colors of Thailand, hints of gold and the distinctive architectural elements as details to make a space feel exotic, warm and inviting. I can easily envision a modern space with simple lines, warm wood and natural elements to set the stage for dramatic Thai influences which add character and interest......can you imagine it?