Becky's Greatest Hits: March 30th, 2008

At museums, I love looking at garments, textiles, jewelery, and ceramics, because these are things people interacted with and enjoyed and some of that life always comes through. And of course when I look at all these wonderful old patterns and colors, my mind begins to swirl with grand plans to incorporate these ancient designs into my own creations.



All of these garments are from minority groups within China, many of whom are very isolated. But I was struck by how these costumes called up other distant cultures, especially Native American, Russian and Indian dress.



I have a recurring fashion fantasy where I get to wear a beaded headdress like this one to some fantastic party. I think the word Diva has been devalued by its constant over use on VH1, but how else to describe something so decadent? What fun to hear all the beads clinking together as you toss your head and bat your gigantic false eyelashes. It reminds me of Liz Taylor as Cleopatra or Mia Farrow as Daisy.



These beaded pieces were woven directly into the hair. I"m sure they were quite heavy as the beads were all cut from incredibly lovely pieces of natural coral and turquoise. The effect was really beautiful, but I'm sure she was glad to let her hair down at the end of the day.



This little silver crown, on the other hand, looked light as a feather. It reminded me of a Tord Boontje for Artecnica. But of course,this came first. Think of the beautiful contrast of the fluttery silver against shiny dark black Asian hair. Gorgeous.

Money Honey

In China, having a car means you've made it. Having a license plate full of lucky number eights is a status symbol. But a vanity plate like this one is akin to parading around town wearing a golden crown, waving your scepter at the riff-raff. Whoever owns this car subscribes to the "If you've got it, flaunt it" school of thought.

Xi'an's World Famous Terra Cotta Warriors

In my college art history courses, there wasn't much attention paid to Eastern Art. The one exception was the Terracotta Warriors. This incredible archeological treasure was discovered in the late 1970's by some farmers digging a well. (What a day that must have turned out to be for all of them!)



Because of its recent discovery, the site is in remarkably good condition. Thousands of soldiers were individually sculpted by artisans- each with unique facial features, clothing, brass or wooden weapons (sadly not currently on display) and even elaborate hairstyles. They were intended to stand guard for the emperor, and were once brightly painted.



Experts estimate that there are almost 8,000 figures in all, but most of these are still being excavated and painstakingly pieced back together. I don't envy the archeologists the job of digging two thousand year old terracotta out of two thousand year old mud. I'd imagine the two are remarkably similar at this point. And I don't even want to think about what a headache it would be to piece these shattered humpties together again...However, each of these lifelike sculptures offers priceless clues into the daily life of ordinary people in ancient China.



It was a great treat to see these priceless artifacts up close and personal.

Two Men I Love, Love Each Other Too...

Its a good thing when your husband and your brother get along well. But when they begin wearing matching outfits and communicating entirely with Simpson's quotes, you start to wonder if maybe they should be married to each other instead...

Four Tiny Treasures from Xi'an

I love buying tiny trinkets whilst we travel and I found lots of sweet things at the markets in Xi'an. You'll find a few of these in my Etsy shop, though the owl is already on his way to my favorite owl collector. (She knows who she is.)



This tiny perfume bottle was carved from ox bone.


Wouldn't these little tin perfume bottles be wonderful to wear on long chains like those pendants everybody's Grandma wore with polyester pantsuits in the seventies?

Photo Editing Dilemma; You Decide Contest!

Good photography is what separates the best from the rest in the blogosphere. I've been having lots of fun shooting images to share with you, and I've started tweaking them a bit in photoshop while I'm at it. Every now and then, once I've finished editing, I can't quite make up my mind about which version of an image to use. Here is an example:



In the original shot, the woman in the steam is as much a part of the scene as the gentleman waiting for his noodles.



In the cropped version, the woman doing the cooking becomes the focal point- the steam adding an ephemeral, magical feel.

I'm not sure which I prefer. What do you think? Post a comment with your vote and I'll send one lucky respondent a stash of my vintage photo greeting cards like the one below. Happy voting!

Photo Essay: Xi An

You mean you've never heard of The Bad Boys of Badminton?

Need a crash course on the differences between American and Chinese sports heroes? I think this billboard is an excellent place to begin. For starters, Chinese people actually recognize their Badminton Team. They know the players' names, wear jerseys emblazoned with said names, follow their love lives in the tabloids and ostensibly buy the overpriced face potions these fellows endorse. Can you imagine Allen Iverson endorsing something, nay, anything by L'oreal Paris? Yeah, me neither. I rest my case.

Xi An on a Bycicle Built for two (plus one for our favorite third Wheel)

While Shenzhen sprung up virtually overnight, Xi An has been around for three thousand years and was once China's capital. This city is a gem- besides the famous Terracotta Army(post forthcoming!), it offers a wonderful sense of China's history, so long, rich and varied, and so hard to sense in Shenzhen. Xi'an is a lively place, the city center is a towering pagoda in the center of a large public square that is always filled with activity.

In the mornings you'll see old ladies doing tai chi while the younger ones try something that looks like a variation on square dancing to Canton pop music. In the afternoon the skies are filled with hundreds of fluttering kites, kids on roller skates zip by and couples stroll along enjoying an ice cream cone. As if all that weren't idyllic enough, Amy suggested that we rent bikes for a joy ride around Xi'An's ancient city wall and we had such fun doing just that. (Can you believe I talked Eric in to renting a tandem bike? It was so Laverne and Shirley!)

Xi An and the Porcupine Trash Can

This transaction repeated thousands of times in one day...


...has this end result. I don't envy the fellow who has the job of emptying that garbage can each evening, do you?

Candid Beijing

I'd like to note that I once bought a sack of groceries and had Eric come pick me up because I couldn't figure out how to bike back with it. (In my defense, my bike was basket-less.) These gents appear to be running a small appliance shop atop their cycles. A refrigerator, computer and several towers, at least one television and multiple air conditioning units atop their cycles. I can admit when I'm bested guys. No need to rub it in.


We paid a visit to the sober and elegant Ming tombs.


Beijing is definitely best enjoyed on two wheels. It was wonderful to glide through the stifling heat with my little bell chirping.


Detail from the elaborate mosaics in the Forbidden City.


Fruits of summer. (Has a plain old cardboard box ever looked so pretty?)


Somehow the giant bow makes him look more lap dog, less fearsome guardian. See more of our trip here or here.

The Great Wall Revisited

Since Daddy G and Bro J's visits didn't overlap, we paid a second visit to The Great Wall, this time to Mutianyu. This section is slightly more Disney-fied; as you ride up the cable car, the quiet is disturbed by the euphoric whoops of people zipping down the Alpine Slide.


One can't help but be awed by this structure; the immensity of the task is the first thing that strikes me. And in the end this massive wall didn't keep the Mongols at bay.


And now the place is overrun by hordes of tourists, like us. We opted for the cable car up- believe me, you need your energy for hiking on the Wall itself. The steps are uneven, steep and off kilter. It was like the Stair-master from the flaming depths of hell. I was shocked at how winded I got and glad to take the slide down, no matter how hokey it looked.


And for the record, the Alpine Slide was a blast.

Photo Essay: Cloisonne Factory

Take a tour bus to The Great Wall and chances are good you'll also get a thorough tour of a Cloisonne or Jade Factory into the bargain. The tour guide gets a kickback from the factory owners and you get a chance to buy trinkets. Although the shopping felt a bit coercive, I did enjoy a peek at the techniques.


Bowls, vases and bracelets are crafted from brass.


Tiny strips of brass are shaped and glued onto the vessel by hand according to a pattern. Dragons, lotus flowers, peonies and butterflies are all popular motifs.


A finished piece beside one in progress.


Artists use tiny eye droppers to fill each segment with glaze. Each piece is fired multiple times until the enamel fills the brass chambers.


The array of colors was stunning.


I loved how the enamels were smothered in water. It made me think of a rainbow accidentally collected on a picnic table after a sudden storm.


In one of my college painting classes, my professor used to tease me that whatever color I wore to class was the color I would use first that day. I wonder if this lady had the same predilection.


After firing, the piece must be sanded down so that the finished product has a smooth and even finish. Needless to say, the pieces I liked were far to expensive to bring home in my suitcase.

Photo Essay: The Secret World of Hutongs

Hutongs are to Beijing as adobe homes are to Santa Fe. Many Hutongs were plowed under to make way for modern day Beijing, but the ones that remain give a sense of a way of life that has existed in China for a thousand years.