Hotei

Brenda found me a a lovely, jade-looking, sculpture.

The sculpture is of Hotei, today in Japan by many considered to be the one of the seven lucky gods of Taoism who is responsible for wealth. The image portrayed is that of Budai, a 10th century Chinese monk who, according to legend, found happiness by foregoing material wealth.

It is made out of some kind of resin that the interesting.

It glows in the dark.

The glow comes from within, not just of the surface.

--Cool and a bit haunting really.

The Smallest Relic

After almost a year off I have decided to revisit The Relics.

This is my smallest relic.

I bought this little guy way back in the early 1980s when I use to play D&D pretty often.

It came from a little shop in Foley Alabama.

--The shop is still there.

The Cold Mountain Violin

This Relic was a movie prop used in the movie Cold Mountain.

If you watch the violin scene closely you can see that the violin has a unique cobra carved into the head of the violin.

I have the whole thing. The case, the fiddle, the bow, resin and a damn good story.

--I love movie props!

The Bronze Shishi Lion

I have several Shishi Lions in my collection.

This one is a bookend and part of a pair of lions but I only have the one. I purchased it at an antique mall a decade ago while on my honeymoon.

The first one I had my brother Russ brought back from Taiwan.

--I don't know how many I have...

The God of Fisherman

This Relic is another statue brought back from Tiawan by my brother Russ.

It is know as Ebisu or called Hiruko or Kotoshiro-nushi-no-kami is the Japanese god of fishermen, luck, and workingmen, as well as the guardian of the health of small children.

He is one of the Chinese Seven Gods of Fortune, and the only one of the seven to originate from Japan.

--I have multiple examples of this guy too.

The Wire Dancer

This Relic is another piece art created by my daughter Cady.

It's made of simple materials from around the house. A wire hanger and some copper wires from the garage.

The photo does not do it justice. There is a butterfly on her outreached hand.


--Love the sculpture, and that girl!

The Most Recent Shou Xing

I have several examples of this Chinese God in my Relic collection. You have seen multiple versions already. This was my most recent one. I found it in an antique mall I visited with Brenda on the way back from Buffalo.

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 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 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 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 Masks

These Relics are wooden African Tribal Masks.

I received these as a gift. They were collected by a former ambassador to Bahrain.

They are not valuable. I just like them.

--In the dark, they watch you...

The Sleepy One

This Relic is another sculpture I made.

One day I hope to try it again. I never seem to have the time now. I'd love to take a class and spend more that one class hour making something.

This piece was made of a quick dry clay that didn't even require firing in a kiln. But it can only be worked for a short time.

I made this in 1982.

She's just turned 30 ears old.

--She's still sleepy...

The Rabbit Stone

This Relic is an art project that my daughter Cady did when she was little.

It's a paper weight.

It is painted on a river rock.

--I Love this Relic.

The Tsuba

These Relics are a pair of Tsuba I found at a flea market for $1 each.

Tsuba are usually a round or somtines squarish guard at the end of the grip of bladed Japanese weapons, like the katana and its various declinations, tachi, wakizashi, tantō, naginata etc.

Click the pic for a good look at the detail.

--One day I would to make some swords for them.

The Whittled Links

This Relic was actually whittled by the hands of my Gramps Jake.

Back in the olden days whittling was the xBox 360 entertainment of the day.

Grampa Jake could not read. My mom told me he was constantly sitting on the porch, trying to catch a breeze and  amusing himself with a bit of wood.

He originally gave this relic to my own father one time during a visit to central Alabama where he lived.

I only met Grampa Jake a few times. All I can remember was that he was a very tell, slim, quiet man. He died when I was 5 years old.

--This Relic makes me think of him. And simpler times...

The Lump of Coal

I stole this Relic.

I was looking at a house with a realtor and the house had an actual coal chute and a coal bin.

The furnace had long since been converted to natural gas but there was still coal in the bin.

I liked the looks of it.

--So I took it!

The Ice Viking

This Relic was a gift from my friends Cynthia and Brian. It is thick and heavy and I am afraid of dropping it not because it might break but because it could do some serious damage to my toe.

The photo does not do the thing justice.

When it is in the light it throws haunting colors all over the room.

--It looks like it's made of ice.