Ruby Tuesday - More Red from the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, CA - April 26, 2011

I still have so many wonderful red photos from the Asian Art Museum in San

Francisco, I'll be showing them intermittently on Ruby Tuesday. 

This warrior, is from China, and dates back to the early 100s BCE.  It is made from

painted earthenware and is from the Western Han dynasty.  It was given to the museum

by Hok Pui Leung and Sally Yu Leung in memory of their fathers, On Leung and Dr.

Tin Wah Yu.

This is a court robe for a young emperor, from China, in the Quing dynasty

( 1644 - 1911 ),reign of the Guanpxu emperor, 1875 - 1906.  It is made of embroidered

silk.  According to the information card, court robes symbolize the cosmic order

 and, this robe, made for a young emperor, is a good example.  The wavy stripes at the

bottom of the road symbolize the sea.  Groups of prism-shaped rocks rise from the

water at the front, back and sides of the robe.  They represent the earth and the

four directions.  Above these peaks, nine dragons fly above colored clouds. The

dragon is the symbol of the masculine ( yang ) element and, hence, of the emperor.

The number nine was also reserved for him. 

This is Joanne Olivieri, aka Poetic Shutterbug, wearing her own "Ruby Tuesday" shirt.

This is a teapot with a dragon and phoenix.  I was unable to clearly photograph

any further identifying information.

This throne is from China, probably 1800 - 1880.  It is made from lacquered wood.

Thrones were among the most important pieces of furniture in the Imperial house-

hold in Beijing.  They were usually larger in scale and less restrained than regular

household furniture and were usually lacquered and decorated with auspicious

symbols.  Some were decorated with gold and yellow ( the Imperial color ) and,

often had dragons and flowers.

This throne is smaller and may have been used for someone other than the

emperor himself.

I am participating in Ruby Tuesday!  Check out the site for more

wonderful post and add one of your own!

Ruby Tuesday - Bali Comes to San Francisco - April 5, 2011

This past Sunday, my friend, Joanne Olivieri ( aka Poetic Shutterbug - check out her
fabulous photographic blog ) invited me to go to free day at San Francisco's excellent
Asian Museum.  Currently, they have a visiting Bali exhibit and, Surryea, a renowned
Balinese mask dancer, was going to perform, an added enticement.  It was a glorious
day, perhaps that was why the museum was not especially crowded as it normally
is on its one day a month when there is complimentary admission.

No flash photography is allowed inside the museum but their exhibits are reasonably
well illuminated so I have many posts for upcoming Ruby Tuesdays.  My shots of
Surryea are not quite as good but I wanted to post them for today.  He performed
three different dances with the masks which he makes himself. 

I am participating in Ruby Tuesday, a most wonderful meme.  Check out the

site to see other red photographs and add one of your own!