31 October 2015
日本江户。今年是1749年。这是15国家行业集团公司ht of the 7th month, the start of the annual Bon Festival, a celebration honoring the dead. On the edge of town, where the merriments of the festival were subdued, a group of samurai gathered at an old mansion. In the main hall they waited for the darkest hours of the night and lit one hundred candles in a circle. Then, one by one they bega...
28 October 2015
Meret Oppenheim, a Swiss Surrealist artist in the 1920s, suggested that no matter how beautiful and well crafted a work of art may be, the most important part is the meaning and ideas it reflects. This could describe the world of collecting, which is as much about meaning as it is aesthetics – especially when dealing with religious art. Some religions are so complex, they may seem nea...
23 October 2015
“You cannot!” she exclaimed. “Your grandfather’s spirit lives there. Have you forgotten he saved your life? When you were ten years old, you nearly drowned!”“I have not forgotten!” Yao retorted. “But worshiping the dead threatens the revolution.”Yao fell silent. He could not find anything to say in response; however, his sense of duty to...
09 October 2015
Anyone who has come face to face with a giant boar knows the danger and fear these animals can create. Armed only with a slingshot, the hunter knew he was no match for the boar. Suddenly, the animal charged forward, and as it darted toward him he raced up the tree to the branch where his original prey now beckoned him to safety. When he arrived the bird took off, its wings waving goodbye...
05 October 2015
Flags were first used by knights in medieval times to identify their allegiance, but earlier predecessors such as banners and cloth-draped staffs called vexilloids reach far back into the ancient world. First and foremost, these types of identifying markers were utilized as a practical method of differentiating friend from foe during battle; however, they also collectively represented nobl...