Lanterns Up

“Chinese Tattoos are all the rage. From NBA players to goatied hippies, the exotic elegance of the mysterious Orient has proven irresistible. While it is undeniable that classic Chinese characters have a universal beauty which can easily be appreciated regardless of whether one can understand the often subtle meanings conveyed by the ancient designs, some Westerners have permanently embossed their bodies with symbols that are at times oddly nonsensical and at other times are bizarrely meaningless.

The aesthetic appeal of flowing Chinese calligraphy is easy to understand. “Mom” in Chinese undoubtedly adds a certain intellectualism to this archetypically simple tattoo. Chinese tattoos are a more clever way to express your message.

And while tattoos have always been conversation pieces, a Chinese tattoo adds another element, since the typical viewer will need to ask you the meaning, which allows the wearer to not only translate the characters, but to explain the story behind the decision to make such a lasting statement. The adoption of this fad by the rich, famous and beautiful has certainly made this a more popular trend, but may also make it more “yesterday” as well.”

Consult a native speaker. This will obviously be necessary to get a Chinese name, but should be a required step in getting a Chinese tattoo no matter what. Most universities should have an international population and it should be possible to find a native speaker. Don’t be stupid: fifth-generation Chinese Americans don’t speak any more Chinese than you do.

In the end, this is your tattoo and it primarily has meaning for you. Since it is intended for a Western audience, the Chinese meaning is not critical. Chinese tattoos are great conversation pieces and allow you to express yourself in an interesting and exotic way. Aesthetics should be the first consideration, and Chinese characters are very well suited to that purpose.

Material: Sterling Silver,Turquoise
Region: Miao Minority
Dimensions:length,15.7cm; width,1.5cm

Have a Try!

Style 1	Style 2

A pottery Whistle of Miaos’ Handicraft.

The unique whistle is initiated by Mr.wu guoqing,a respectable master of Miaos’ earthenware.It is a pottery treasure with its interesting design,bright color and fantastic whistling.

Tibetan pendants are among the most stunning jewelry pieces you’ll find on the market today. High in the mountains of Nepal, skilled artisans use the same techniques that have been used for generations to create the most gorgeous silverworks and gem cuts.

Asia is home to some of the worlds finest gemstones, so grand master artisans have a wide variety of stunning stones to work with. Tibetan pendants are often set with green turquoise, red coral, butterscotch yellow amber, carnelian and deep blue lapis lazuli. Gorgeous emeralds, rubies, sapphires, amethysts, citrines and garnets are common as well.

Thangka is a Nepalese art form imported to Tibet after Princess Bhrikuti of Nepal, daughter of King Lichchavi, married Sron Tsan Gampo, the ruler of  Tibet imported the images of Aryawalokirteshwar and other Nepalese deities to Tibet.  Thangkas are made on various fabrics. The most common is a loosely woven cotton produced in widths from 40 to 58 centimeters (16 – 23 inches). While some variations do exist, thangkas wider than 45 centimeters (17 or 18 inches) frequently have seams in the support.

These lovely & fashionable felted wool handbags, coin purses, and hats are hand-sewn by artisans in Kathmandu, Nepal. Wool felt-making is a lengthy process involving boiling and shaping wool into the desired final shape of the item – with the intriguing result that most styles are actually seamless! Once an item’s shape is established through this process, other finishing touches are carefully hand-sewn onto the wool, including flowers, felt balls, and decorative embroidery on certain styles.

China has a long history of using women as objects d’art since the Warring States and Western Han Dynastywhen people painted female figures on silk.

Each time in history has its own idea of ‘beauty’ and from early times artists have recorded their particular version of ‘beauty’. Artists in China are no different. Throughout the ages, the image of the ‘ideal’ beauty has been subject to the trends and politics of the times, and through their legacies we can gain a better understanding of Chinese history.

Even though paintings of women were common, women did not gain respect because of it. In the paintings women are only beautiful objects to show or admire. It is possible to link the growth of women depicted in art and a lowering of their social status.

Southern and Northern Dynasties

The early stages of traditional Chinese depictions of beauty began in the Southern and Northern Dynasties (420-589). Virtuous women and fairies composed the main subjects in these paintings, and they generally came from literary works.

“Luoshen Appraisal Painting” by Gu KaizhiEastern Jin Dynasty(317-320) is a good example. Its theme was drawn from the story Luoshen Appraisal, penned by the famous writer of the Three Kingdoms (220-280) Cao Zhi, who was forced to part with his lover. Luoshen is the Goddess of the river Luo.

In the painting, Luoshen has delicate features and a slender body. Her expression is gentle. She did not show her joy when she encountered Cao Zhi or reveal her grief when he left. This shows Luoshen’s refined character. With an original concept and heart-stirring scenes, the painting is considered a classic in Chinese art..

From the vivid description of the goddess, one can see that the typical image of beauty in that period was a thin,weak body as well as fragility graceful bearing.

Tang Dynasty

The Tang Dynasty was the most magnificent period in feudal society. During this time the traditional Chinese depictions of beautiful women also entered a new stage. Painters paid attention to the richly colorful society, and were especially interested in displaying the idle and carefree life of aristocrat women.

Artistic trends in any given historical period are influenced by social consciousness, cultural background and the economic development at the time. In the mid-Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), after a hundred years of development, political power was stabilizing and the economy was prospering. Hedonism became increasingly popular among the ruling class.

The portrait paintingstyle initiated by Yan Liben in the early Tang Dynasty which had aimed at praising national heroes, gradually lost its appeal. Even in manyBuddhist paintings, the concubines of the rich were posed as goddesses, an indication that religious painting was becoming more realistic and temporal painting began to take on its initial form. Zhang Xuan and Zhou Fang were two representative artists of the time.

Zhou Fang’s “Hui Shan Shi Nv Tu” (Court Ladies Wielding Fans) represents the outstanding achievements of depicting ladies of the court in the Tang Dynasty. Women in the pictures are vigorous, healthy, graceful and noble, representative of the magnificent beauty of the women during the prosperous Tang period.

Five Dynasties

After the Tang Dynastypainters in the Five Dynasties (709-960) not only inherited the Tang Dynasty tradition of painting beauty but also made changes.

Take Gu Hong Zhong’s “Han Xizai Evening Banquet ” for example. The court attendant’s posture is poor compared to that of the women in earlier Tang Dynasty paintings, but the woman is healthy and beautiful. In Ruan Gao’s” Fairies of the Celestial Realm,” there are also evident changes. Instead of painting obese models, he began to depict women with a more slender stature and charming posture.

Song Dynasty

With a relatively stable political power, developed economy and prosperous culture, Chinese artists in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), continued to make innovations in their portrayals of women.In addition to mythical female figures and courtesans, the women at the bottom of society began to catch artists’ attention.

Take Wang Juzheng’s ” The Spinning Wheel ” for example. Women in this picture do not have sweet and pretty facial expressions, attractive statures, magnificent clothing or honored status. They are real, ordinary, rural women.

Artists did not use artistic techniques to make them look better, but praised their unadorned individuality and virtuous lifestyle while simultaneously expressing sympathy for their poverty.

Yuan Dynasty

During the Yuan dynasty, because of social turmoil and ethnic conflicts, many painters escaped to live in the mountains. They began to focus on painting the beauty of the nature that surrounded them, causing a decline in paintings of women.

Painters did not continue the Song Dynasty tradition of positively displaying women of different classes. Instead they drifted away from depicting real life. They sought themes from historical stories as well as literary works. In terms of human modeling, they followed the customs handed down from the Tang Dynasty.

Ming Dynasty

In the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644), there was an enormous development in the artists’ portrayal of women. . Women’s figures gradually started to have a certain aestheticism and symmetrical stature. Through solemn, simple and beautiful features the artists revealed their elegant manner.

Traditional Chinese paintingentered its mature stage during the Ming Dynasty. Many outstanding painters emerged during this time.

Qing Dynasty

In the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), paintings of women occupied an important place in art scene. Its status was above flowerandbird painting,landscape painting and others.

During this period, the depiction of women in art became formulaic, showing women regardless of social status with slim figures, oval faces and cherry lips.

Female femininity and morbid beauty were also depicted by artists in the Qing Dynasty.

For thousands of years, Dzi (pronounced as “ji”) beads have been deeply entrenched in Tibetan culture. The Dzi beads, being Tibetan’s most precious living gemstone and charm are worshipped, revered and passed down from generations after generations. Did you know that in Tibet, the ancient pure Dzi beads can be used for mortgage purposes in banks! As with all things ancient and mystical, there is plenty of folklore associated with Dzi beads. One legend has it that demi-gods threw away their Dzi beads when they became ever so slightly blemished, which explains why the Dzi bead is also regarded as the “Heavenly Stone” by the Tibetans.

Tibet, being the former home of the Dalai Lama, has always been associated with the mystical and the holy. There is no denying that the beads’ very origins certainly lend it a metaphysical air. It is believed that the Dzi Bead has the ability to protect its wearer from supernatural “bad” forces. Many believers claim that donning a Dzi bead is akin to having an invisible cloak protect you from the intangible negative elements and energies. Evil spirits, sickness, misfortunes and sudden death are kept at bay with the presence of a powerful Dzi bead. Dzi can also balance the body of the wearer’s yin yang and five elements, hence improves the body’s immunity system and promotes overall health. Other reasons people wear Dzi beads include to usher in greater wealth, for spiritual enlightenment and even just as an aid in enhancing a feeling of calm within oneself.

The mysterious Dzi beads are shiny stone beads that often feature a universally recognized pattern, usually that of ‘eyes’, circles, squares or certain stripes and wave patterns. There are also some pieces that boast some rare patterns and are equally potent in their protective powers such as one that has the silhouette of the Goddess of Mercy Kwan Yin outlined on the bead. The different patterns found on the surface of the Dzi beads all serve a different purpose. One-eyed Dzi beads are generally meant to promote brilliance and growth in wisdom while a 13-eyed Dzi will promote tranquility and serenity. For the savvy businessman, the three-eyed Dzi will certainly serve you well as it is said to help in bringing prosperity and wealth. The most favored bead is usually the nine-eyed one, as it is said to have the powers to bring about compassion, power and glory.

The Dzi bead can be worn by everyone regardless of race, religion, gender and age because these beads are not meant to be religious. Its main purpose is to promote the good aura of a person.

The eight luck-bringing symbols, Ashta-Mangala (Sanskrit) or Uljeitu naiman temdek (Mongolian), are popular charms to both the lamas and the Tibetan laity. The qualities of the Buddha are traditionally represented by these 8 auspicious symbols. They were offered to the Buddha Shakyamuni at the time of his birth.

The 8 auspicious symbols also commemorate the gifts offered by celestial beings to Buddha Shakyamuni after his attainment of enlightenment. The auspicious symbols appear either all together, in pairs or singly. They decorate all sorts of objects both sacred and secular. Sometimes they appear cast as altar bronzes.

The 8 auspicious symbols may be personified as eight symbol-bearing goddesses, known in Tibetan as Tashi-lhamo Gyal or ASHTAMANGALA-DEVI in sanskrit. Each is represented holding the symbolic object and all are adorned with crowns and jewels.

1. THE PRECIOUS UMBRELLA [PARASOL]

(CHATTRA [S.] Rinchen Dug [T.] Sikur [M.])
denotes respect; gives protection from all evil and the heat of evil desires

2. TWO GOLDEN FISH

(SURVANA MATSYA Sergyi Nya Jighasun)
represent Buddha’s eyes, hence Transcendent Wisdom; happiness and utility; symbolic of beings saved from the ocean of earthly life and suffering

3. GREAT INEXHAUSTIBLE TREASURE VASE

(KALASHA Terchen-pahi Bumpa Bumba)
the innumerable qualities of a Buddha’s Body; contains spiritual jewels; the treasury of all desires

4. THE EXCELLENT LOTUS FLOWER

(PADMA Padma Zangpo Badma)
representing the purity of the Buddha’s Mind; emblem of original purity; pledge of salvation, or Nirvana

5. PRECIOUS WHITE CONCH HORN [TRUMPET],

WITH A SPIRAL THAT TURNS TO THE RIGHT
(SHANKHA Dungkar Yakhyil Labai)
symbolizes the sound of Dharma, which can be heard in all directions; proclaiming the fame of the saints; “the blessedness of turning to the right”

6. THE GLORIOUS INTERWOVEN KNOT OF LIFE

(SHRIVATSA Palgyi Behu Balbu)
the Mystic Diagram representing the Great Love of all the Buddhas, and the never-ending continuity of the Teachings of Buddha’s Mind; the knot of Love; the thread which guides to happiness

7. SUPREME CIRCULAR BANNER OF VICTORY

(DHVAJA Choggi Gyaltshan Doja)
victory over negative influences; flag that celebrates the victory of Buddhism; the standard erected on the summit of the palace of salvation

8. PRECIOUS GOLDEN WHEEL OF DHARMA

(CHAKRA Sergyi Khorlo Kurde)
the Teaching of the Buddha; wheel of doctrine or religious law; the wheel which leads to perfection

Tibetan

Dansk (Danish)
n. – tibetansk
adj. – tibetaner

Nederlands (Dutch)
Tibetaan(s)

Français (French)
n. – Tibétain
adj. – tibétain

Deutsch (German)
n. – Tibeter, Tibetisch
adj. – tibetisch

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. – Θιβετιανός, η γλώσσα του Θιβέτ
adj. – θιβετικός, Θιβετιανός

Italiano (Italian)
tibetano

Português (Portuguese)
n. – tibetano (m)
adj. – tibetano

Русский (Russian)
тибетец, тибетский

Español (Spanish)
n. – tibetano
adj. – tibetano

Svenska (Swedish)
n. – tibetanska, tibetan
adj. – tibetansk

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
西藏语, 藏族人, 西藏人, 西藏的, 藏族人的, 藏族的

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. – 西藏語, 藏族人, 西藏人
adj. – 西藏的, 藏族人的, 藏族的

한국어 (Korean)
n. – 티베트 사람, 티베트 말
adj. – 티베트의, 티베트 사람의

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. – チベットの, チベット人の, チベット語の
n. – チベット人, チベット語

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) لغه أبناء التبيت, التيبيه (صفه) أحد أبناء التبت, التيبتي‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. – ‮טיבטי/ת, טיבטית (שפה)‬
adj. – ‮טיבטי/ת, של טיבט, לשונה ועמה‬