Category Archives: art

Fukuoka | 10/28

police-embassy-DSC_5713Japanese riot police guarding the Korean Embassy.

Inspiration?

monk-DSC_5718Komainu-DSC_5783Komainu-DSC_5790Komainu (狛犬)

“Meant to ward off evil spirits, modern komainu statues are almost identical, but one has the mouth open, the other closed. This is a very common characteristic in religious statue pairs at both temples and shrines. This pattern is however Buddhist in origin and has a symbolic meaning. The open mouth is pronouncing the first letter of the Sanskrit alphabet, which is pronounced “a”, while the closed one is uttering the last letter, which is pronounced “um”, to represent the beginning and the end of all things. Together they form the sound Aum, a syllable sacred in several religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.” Wikipedia article.

Komainu-DSC_5752Komainu-DSC_5766torii-DSC_5757Gokoku Shrine 護国神社. fukuoka-DSC_5764fukuoka-DSC_5760fukuoka-DSC_5759yellow-pumpkin-statue-DSC_5742Yayoi Kusama 草間 彌生 pumpkin パンプキン sculpture at Fukuoka Art Museum 福岡市美術館. Ohori Park. More Yakoi Kusama pumpkins (INHALE MAG).Fukuoka_Art_Museum-福岡市美術館-DSC_5739Ohori Park.Ohori_Park_DSC_5732Ohori_Park-大濠公園-DSC_5726 leaves-DSC_5816leaf-DSC_5788leaf-DSC_5837Maizuru_Park-DSC_5800Fukuoka Castle ruins 福岡城.Maizuru_Park-DSC_5828Maizuru_Park-DSC_5821October 28, 2014.

Dice

On Chinese dice the 4 is always red.

The word for four () and death () sound similar in Mandarin Chinese.

The story of the emperor who ordered the four on dice colored red.

See Tetraphobia.

The character for dice in Chinese 骰子 has the radical 骨 bone as ancient dice were made out of bone.

Types of Chinese dice.

Dice from different countries.

Book: Chinese Games with Dice and Dominoes.

Ancient Board Games at the British Museum.

See list of Chinese radicals.