The First Shou Xing

I have several examples of this Chinese God in my Relic collection. You have seen some already. This was my very first one. My brother Russ brought it back from Taiwan.

Shou Xing - God of Longevity

This character represents 'long life'. According to Chinese folklore, Longevity is described as wise, knowledgeable and capable of ruling the world. During festivals, a Chinese family normally worships the symbols or pictures of Longevity to express gratitude for granting the elders in the family a long life.

When old people celebrate their birthdays, families and friends love to use the drawings of Shou as gifts. Pictures of Shou were often drawn on birthday cakes. Such a gesture would embody the filial wish that family elders or birthday person might live as long as the legendary mountains of the south, with health and good fortune to match.

The God of Longevity is the 3rd god of the Gods of Good Fortune. The God of Longevity was originally a stellar God, Shou Xing or the Star of Longevity

--I could use some longevity. That's why I have so many!

The Damascus Knife

This Relic is one of my favorite knives.

I bought this one year when I was camping at Pennsic.

This was hand made using a quick shortcut making it very much like a Damascus steel blade. The maker used a steel cable as the initial stock. The twised threads of the cable add strength.

This Knife has a great finish and is sharp enough to shave with.

--Love the simple handle too!

The Hand Up Charlie

This Relic is one of the seven Japanese Shinto-gods of luck. Hotei is the god of happiness and laughter and the wisdom of being content.

My mom had several of these. She always called them Hands Up Charlie. These days it's considered to be Politically Incorrect.

It's made of bronze and one of his arms is missing. It was once there but it's loss is remains a mystery of the relic room.

I know it's there somewhere...

Tradition tells us to rub his belly for Happiness.

--You can see his belly has a polish!

The Stereo Viewer

This Relic was a wonderful Christmas gift from my excellent wife Brenda one year.

I have a wonderful collection of antique stereo 3D photo cards.

I love them.

I have another viewer, the original one that I inherited along with my collection of cards. When Brenda saw that it was broken and repaired, it gave her the idea to buy me this gift.

--It is really beautiful. Just like her...

The PEZ Gun

This Relic was obtained last fall when I went to a PEZ convention with my wife Brenda.

Back in the 1960s they thought it was a good idea to make a toy gun, specifically designed, so kids could pretend to commit suicide by shooting themselves in the mouth it a PEZ.

I paid $30 for this classic example of a Four Rules violation!

It even has a removable magazine where you load the PEZ! I wanted the one that was Black and Brown and looked real but they were selling for like $300!

--Put your hands up and open your mouth!!

The Zither

This Relic is called a Zither. It belongs to Brenda and is actually a beautiful, unsusal instrument.

From Wikipedia:

"The zither is a musical string instrument, most commonly found in Slovenia, Austria, Hungary, northwestern Croatia, the southern regions of Germany, alpine Europe and East Asian cultures, including China. The term "citre" is also used more broadly, to describe the entire family of stringed instruments in which the strings do not extend beyond the sounding box, including the hammered dulcimer, psaltery, Appalachian dulcimer, guqin, guzheng (Chinese zither), koto, gusli, kantele, gayageum, đàn tranh, kanun, autoharp, santoor, yangqin, piano, harpsichord, santur, swarmandal, and others. Modern electric zithers exist, as well as a wide variation of experimental zithers like the Kitaras of Harry Partch, the Shruti Stick and the Moodswinger. It is played by strumming or plucking the strings like a guitar."


--I have multiple instruments in the Relic room.

The Painting

Click the painting for a larger image

My father painted this painting. It hung in my childhood home as long as I can remember. It now hangs in my den.

--I love it. It's signed "WILS"

The Cyborg

I have had this Relic, a small 2 inch toy, since about 1976. That summer Star Wars was all the rage and action figures were beginning to ramp up.

I got this for Christmas one year in my stocking. No explanation or packaging.

I always loved SciFi.

--Santa knew me well...

The Porcelin Jar

--This one even comes with a note written in my mothers own hand. A Relic itself!

The Metronome

This Relic is a recent addition.

It is a beautiful device.  It even sounds nice as it is keeps time.

This belonged to my wife's parents. An artifact of their children's piano lessons.

--The wood is simply lovely.

The Turkish Dagger

This Relic is a Turkish Dagger once owned by a Barbary Corsair named Hayreddin Pasha.

They were pirates and privateers who operated from North Africa, based primarily in the ports of Tunis, Tripoli and Algiers. This area was known in Europe as the Barbary Coast, a term derived from the name of its Berber inhabitants.

Their predation extended throughout the Mediterranean, south along West Africa's Atlantic seaboard and even South America, and into the North Atlantic as far north as Iceland, but they primarily operated in the western Mediterranean.

He was a Pirate sorcerer and part of a group sometimes called the Ottoman Corsairs or the Berber Pirates. It is said this dagger has magical properties. It's said it can kill with a scratch, and force men to speak the truth before its point...

--Of course those are all lies... maybe.

The Gods of Good Fortune

These Relics are known as the Gods of Good Fortune.

1. Jurōjin, god of longevity
2. Fukurokuju, god of happiness, wealth and longevity
3. Bishamonten, god of warriors
4. Benzaiten (Benten-sama), goddess of knowledge, art and beauty, especially music
5. Daikokuten (Daikoku), god of wealth, commerce and trade. Ebisu and Daikoku are often paired and represented as carvings or masks on the walls of small retail shops
6. Ebisu, god of fishers or merchants, often depicted carrying a sea bream

--I have several of these depicted together or individually. They are all beautiful in their own way.

The Small Shou Xing

I have several examples of this Chinese God in my Relic collection. You have seen some already.

Shou Xing - God of Longevity

This character represents 'long life'. According to Chinese folklore, Longevity is described as wise, knowledgeable and capable of ruling the world. During festivals, a Chinese family normally worships the symbols or pictures of Longevity to express gratitude for granting the elders in the family a long life.

When old people celebrate their birthdays, families and friends love to use the drawings of Shou as gifts. Pictures of Shou were often drawn on birthday cakes. Such a gesture would embody the filial wish that family elders or birthday person might live as long as the legendary mountains of the south, with health and good fortune to match.

The God of Longevity is the 3rd god of the Gods of Good Fortune. The God of Longevity was originally a stellar God, Shou Xing or the Star of Longevity

--I could use some longevity. Big bald head is optional...

The Ansco

I have multiple cameras in the Relics collection.This one was owned by my wife Brenda's parents.

It is an Ansco Shur-Flash. It is a simple, basic box camera. It probably has not been used in 60 years. It was really advanced for it's time because it has a viewfinder.

One of these days I want to clean it up and find some film for it.

--In the mean time, it makes me think of Audrey, Brenda's mom.

The Bop-It

This Relic is a small Bop-It toy.

I got this Bop-It at my friend Bob's 40th birthday party.

Bob was one of the creators of the Bop-it and was giving them out as party favors!

--Nice work Bob!