Friday, December 19, 2014

Japanese Kutani pots- Pottery by choice












Japanese Kutani white milky translucent eggshell   porcelain antique  tea pot , milk pot and cup painted   with fine natural scene in grey  and yellowish colors.Kutani is the famous  manufacturer of ceramics in Japan with distinction of representing Japanese culture in their society 
Artist marking can be seen on the objects. 

Historical background of Kutani Porcelain
Kutani is the  famous name in porcelain world    manufacturing multicolored    pottery and others in Japan.  In 1655     Lord Maeda Toshiharu ordered production of porcelain and in compliance of his orders the process of manufacturing was started in a small village called Kutani where the stone mine  existed. However the craftmen  could not succeed  in creating a quality product and as such the manufacturing process was a bonded. 
The craftman  Goto was sent to Arita to acquire better technique of production and on his return  a product in the name of Ko- Kutani was launched which remained in production  for almost 50 years using  the technology  overglazed enamels.This production was suddenly stopped in 1700  either  due to the  inavailability of pigment used in the manufacturing process or due to finanacial constraints. Thie reason is still undiscovered.  

Later on the production was  started again  but unlike Ko- Kutani which are extremely rare and most precious pieces .With the passage of time and advancement in technology  small porcelain manufacturing units came emerged in the region.. European users showed their extreme interest  in Shoza products of Kutani which were  highly in demand having captured European market . The world fairs held  in Vienna and Paris from 1873 onward the market for the products was at peak .During the world wars the production was extremely declined , however during the 20th century Kutani again emerged along with Imari and Arita porcelain of Japan as leading manufactureres and dominated  the market again.


Today hundred of companies are engaged in manufacturing Kutani porcelain with thousands of employees producing different styles with  variation and shapes  as well as  also creating  traditional designs. Tera in Japan i is the main central place  where most of the porcelain  is manufactured called as Kutani-Yaki.Besides usual utensils other objects of interest like insense burners, vases, decoration plates  and others are also manufactured .
The new Kutani porcelain  products ranges  from thick and coarse body to transparent eggshell milky white fine  porcelain.These are grey, bluish greenish yellowish  to white milky with the processing technique used by Arita.Many of the varieties are painted by  hand even now showing  its art and sophistication. 


Six hundred years old kachkool

A  rare 600 hundred years old  antique kachkool  made from  twisted tree bark with writings therein  showing  product date.
.The history of the object has not been studied yet.
Inherited property since  1950.

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Antique Chinese calligraphy cups

Two antique Chinese porcelain  cups from Xuande period with calligraphy in blue color  on outer and inner fine glazed  surface .Rims of the cups are deep  red colored
The cups are specially collected for preservation.The reign marks inside the circle are seen on the
 base of the cups The fine glazed surface of the cups has added beauty to the objects..

Saturday, December 13, 2014

Chinese antique large ginger jar.



Antique Chinese large celadon ginger jar 17 cm high  with crackle glazed  outer and inner surface in grey color.
The manufacturing technique used is really worth appreciating depicting culture of the past.

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Rise & Fall of reigns in Gandhara

                             
The antiquated kingdom of Gandhara extended crosswise over parts of present-day Afghanistan and Pakistan. It was an essential business focal point of the Middle East numerous hundreds  years ago  before the arrival of the Prophet Muhammad ( peace be upon him) to this world. For a period, Gandhara likewise was a gem of Buddhist human progress. Researchers of Gandhara headed out east to India and China and were compelling in the advancement of ahead of schedule Mahayana Buddhism

The craft of Gandhara incorporated the soonest oil artistic creations known in mankind's history and the first and probably the most delightful  portrayals of bodhisattvas and the Buddha in human structure. The antiques and archeological stays of Gandhara still are in effect methodicallly crushed by militants. The loss of the Bamiyan Buddhas picked up the world's consideration due to their size, yet numerous other uncommon and antiquated bits of craftsmanship have been lost since. In 2001  Buddhas of Bamiyan in  Afghanistan were smashed into pieces inspite of the world requests. The Buddhas of Bamiyan depicted an  extraordinary legacy of Buddhist craftsmanship that is consistently devastated by war and zeal. 

In November 2007 , a seven-meter tall, seventh century stone Buddha in  Jihanabad  was blwn up extremely harming its head. In 2008 a bomb was planted in a historical center of Gandharan craftsmanship in Pakistan. The blast harmed more than 150 antiques. Almost 2,000 years prior, specialists of Gandhara started to shape and paint the Buddha in ways that have affected Buddhist craftsmanship after. Prior Buddhist workmanship did not portray the Buddha. Rather, he was spoken to by an image or a void space. However Gandharan specialists envisioned the Buddha as an individual. 
In a style impacted by Greek and Roman workmanship, Gandharan specialists etched and painted the Buddha in practical subtle element. The tranquil face,  postured hands, short  hair  hitched at the top. These traditions spread all through Asia and are found in portrayals of the Buddha to this day.in dislike of its imperativeness to Buddhism, a significant part of the historical backdrop of Gandhara was lost for quite a long time. Cutting edge archeologists and history specialists have sorted out a percentage of the story of Gandhara, and luckily much of its glorious workmanship is sheltered on the planet's galleries, far from battle regions. 

The Kingdom of Gandhara existed, in one structure or an alternate, for more than 15 centuries. It started as a territory of the Persian Empire in 530 BCE and finished in 1021 CE, when its last ruler was killed by his own troops. Amid those hundreds of years it stretched and shrank, and its fringes changed ordinarily. 
The general range of Gandhara spreads  to Afghanistan and some pieces of Pakistan. The old kingdom included what is presently Kabul, Afghanistan and Islamabad, Pakistan.  The territory checked "Hindu Kush" likewise was a piece of Gandhara. The noteworthy city of Peshawar and the Swat Valley  is simply west of Peshawar and is vital to the historical backdrop of Gandhara. Despite the fact that this a piece of the Middle East has underpinned human development for no less than 6,000 years, the story starts in 530 BCE. That year the Persian Emperor Darius I vanquished Gandhara and made it a piece of his realm. At that point in 333 BCE Alexander the Great vanquished the armed forces of Darius III and achieved  control of Persia, and by 327 BCE Alexander controlled Gandhara.One of Alexander's successors, Seleucus, got to be leader of Persia and Mesopotamia. Nonetheless, Seleucus committed the error of testing his neighbor to the east, the Emperor Chandragupta Maurya of India. The meeting did not go well for Seleucus, who ceded much domain, including Gandhara, to Chandragupta. 

Chandragupta left the Mauryan Empire, which incorporated the region of Gandhara, to his child, Bindusara. At the point when Bindusara passed on, likely in 272 BCE, he exited the realm to his child, Ashoka. 
Ashoka (ca. 304–232 BCE; now and then spelled Asoka) initially was a warrior sovereign known for his mercilessness and remorselessness. As indicated by legend he was initially presented to Buddhist showing when ministers looked after his injuries after a fight. On the other hand, his ruthlessness proceeded until the day he strolled into a city he had quite recently prevailed over and saw the decimation. "What have I done?" he cried, and promised to watch the Buddhist way for himself and for his kingdom. 
Ashoka's realm included practically all of present-day India and Bangladesh and also a large portion of Pakistan and Afghanistan. It was his support of Buddhism that left the more noteworthy check on world history, on the other hand. Ashoka was instrumental in making Buddhism a standout amongst the most conspicuous religions of Asia. He assembled cloisters, raised stupas, and underpinned the work of Buddhist ministers, who took the dharma into Gandhara and Gandhara's western neighbor, Bactria. 
Believe nothing on the faith of traditions, even though they have been held in honor for many generations and in diverse places. Do not believe a thing because many people speak of it. Do not believe on the faith of the sages of the past. Do not believe what you yourself have imagined, persuading yourself that a God inspires you.Believe nothing on the sole authority of your masters and priests. After examination, believe what you yourself have tested and found to be reasonable, and conform your conduct thereto. Buddha 

The Mauryan Empire declined after Ashoka's demise. The Greek-Bactrian King Demetrius I prevailed over Gandhara around 185 BCE, yet ensuing wars made Gandhara an Indo-Greek kingdom free of Bactria. 
A standout amongst the most conspicuous of the Indo-Greek lords of Gandhara was Menander, additionally called Melinda, who ruled from around 160 to 130 BCE. Menander is said to have been a passionate Buddhist. The Pali Canon contains a dialog, called The MilindapaƱha, claimed to be between King Menander and a Buddhist researcher named Nagasena.after Menander's passing Gandhara was attacked once more, first by Scythians and afterward Parthians. The attacks wiped out the Indo-Greek kingdom.
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