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Woodcarving has always been an important means of artistic expression in Norwegian folk art, and reached a high level of artistic proficiency early on.

The wooden sculptures found in Osebergdronningas (the Oseberg Queen's) burial mound were of such high quality that there are hardly any artists living today who can replicate this type of work. Woodcarvings on boats, sledges, wagons and churches, often featuring amazing fantasy creatures, are proof of the highly developed artistic skill and competence of the time.

With the introduction of Christianity came the building of churches, and woodcarvers were employed to adorn God's house. Most of the doorways of Norwegian stave churches feature incredible woodcarvings representing some of the foremost in Norwegian folk art, perhaps even in Norwegian art in general -- from the ornamental woodcarvings of fantasy creatures around the doorway of the Urnes Stave Church, to the rich vine-like ornamentation on the stave churches in Valdres, to the patterns reflecting historical events carved around the doorway of the Hylestad Stave Church. Inside the stave churches, the wood carver's craft was also often put to work, for example, to create spectacular creatures in the ceiling staring down upon the churchgoers below.

The word Dokra or Dhokra was used to specify a group of craftsmen of traveling type, scattered over Bengal, Orissa and Madhya Pradash and were identified by their marvelously fashioned and ornamented metal goods. The craftsmen have later on established in some areas of Bardwan, Bankura and Midapur districts of West Bengal parting their itinerant nature.

The expression Dokra in Bengali is used with disdain for those who are communally stumpy and detested. Of all craftsmen in West Bengal, these metal smiths are generally most mistreated as social outcasts. Consequently they are called Dokras.

Dokra structure of metal casting is said to be oldest form of metal casting and is precisely known as ‘cire perdue’ or lost wax procedure. A duplication of the preferred product is made with wax on a clay center with all its improved particulars of designs and decorations. A small amount of coats of delicately ready clay paste is applied over the replica and dried out in the shadow.

When the wax-image is done it has to be purified with pancha- varna or the five minced pigments. The joints of the constituent parts of the wax model should be toughened with copper rod or nails before being enclosed by the clay mould. These supports may be chiseled off after the wax model melts away in the heat of the furnace.

Metal crafts, which mainly include cloisonné, filigree inlays, variegated copperware, tinwork, iron pictures, golden and silver accessories, etc, play a special role among China's arts and crafts.

Cloisonne

Cloisonne is a kind of enamelware where the design colors are separated by thin metal strips. Its major processes include making a red copper roughcast, forming patterns on it using thin copper strips, filling patterns with different colors, firing, and polishing. Cloisonné integrates bronze and porcelain skills, and traditional painting and etching. It is the pinnacle of traditional Chinese handicrafts.

Cloisonnefirst originated in Beijing. The earliest piece of cloisonne was made in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), while the best examples were produced during the Xuande reign (1426-1456) of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). During the Jingtai reign (1426-1456) of the Ming, handicraftsmen found a dark blue enamel that gave cloisonné a gorgeous, solemn appeal, which is still used today.

During the Qianlong reign (1736-1795) of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), when pure copper was used as a roughcast, the art of cloisonné reached its pinnacle.

Cloisonnefirst originated in Beijing. The earliest piece of cloisonne was made in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), while the best examples were produced during the Xuande reign (1426-1456) of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). During the Jingtai reign (1426-1456) of the Ming, handicraftsmen found a dark blue enamel that gave cloisonné a gorgeous, solemn appeal, which is still used today.

During the Qianlong reign (1736-1795) of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), when pure copper was used as a roughcast, the art of cloisonné reached its pinnacle.

Beijingers still like to decorate their homes with cloisonnearticles and young women adore cloisonné bracelets and earrings. Cloisonné articles also make great gifts.

People are attracted to its beauty and glittering thin copper strips.
In Beijing, most hotel shops and tourist stores sell cloisonné articles, which can be as big as sacrificial utensils, screens, tables and chairs, or as small as chopsticks, earrings, candy boxes, toothpicks and smoking paraphernalia. They are works of art with a practical value. Recently, handicraftsmen have developed a multi-coloring technique to make cloisonné , which has resulted in more refined and gorgeous products.

** The Process

As one of the famous arts and crafts of Beijing, cloisonné is a form of famous traditional enamelware with a history of over 500 years. The making of cloisonné involves an elaborate and complex process, which includes base-hammering, copper-strip inlays, soldering, enamel filling, enamel firing, polishing and gilding.

Base hammering is the first step in the making of cloisonné. The material used for the body is copper because copper is very malleable and ductile. This step requires sound judgment in the shaping and uniformity of thickness and weight. It is, in fact, much like the work of a coppersmith. The only difference is that when an article is shaped, the coppersmith's work is finished, whereas the cloisonné craftsman's work has just begun.

The second step is filigree soldering. This step requires great care and high creativity. The artisan pastes copper strips to the body that are 1/16 of an inch in diameter and a desired length chosen by the artisan, making up a complex but complete pattern. The artisan creates a blueprint in his or her mind and makes full use of his/her experience, imagination and aesthetic perspective in setting the copper strips on the body.

The third step is applying color, which is known as enamel filling. The color is like the glaze on ceramics and is called "enamel". Its basic elements are boric acid, saltpeter and alkaline. Due to the differences in the added minerals, the colors differ accordingly. Usually, iron will turn gray; uranium, yellow; chromium, green; zinc, white; bronze, blue; and gold or iodine, red. The colors are ground into powder and deposited into the cells separated by filigree.

The fourth step is enamel firing, which is achieved by putting the article with its enamel filling into a kiln. Soon after, the copper body turns red, but after firing, the enamel in the little compartments will sag slightly, which will require re-filling. This process will go on repeatedly until the little cells are full.

The fifth step is polishing, which begins with emery. Polishing aims to even out the filigree and the filled compartments. The whole piece is again put into the fire and then polished once more with a whet-stone. Finally, a piece of hard carbon is used to polish the article a final time to obtain some luster on the surface.

The sixth step is gilding, which is done by placing the article in gold or silver fluid, charged with an electric current. The exposed parts of the filigree and the metal fringes of the article will again undergo another electroplating and a slight polishing.

What is an art gallery? Art galleries are venues where various forms of art and works of various artists are displayed to public. Among the various forms of art like photography, sculpture, art illustrations, hand loom etc. showcasing of paintings are common. The prime objective of art gallery is to promote art and inspire the young artists. Art galleries can be regarded as the best place for art lovers and artists to acquire knowledge related to art.

Both the species can share their interest and concentrate in promoting art among the public. In the art galleries, various works of admired artists are displayed and are preserved for the next generation. The collection of art galleries are rapidly changing. Moreover, the tradition of showcasing art has been shifted from venues to online. Artists and art aficionados can upload their work online and can send it to their friends through emails and e-cards. The art gallery is classified into private and public galleries.

The public galleries display permanent collection of art. Whereas, private galleries carry the private-owned for profit-motive and sale works of art.

Pacific ethnic jewelry, pacific jewelry designs, south pacific jewelry, handmade ethnic jewelry pacific northwest jewelryThe history of Pacific ethnic jewelry is truly remarkable and some of the stories are absolutely incredible. As with so many cultures, jewelry was as important, if not more important, as clothing in the Pacific. For one thing, the materials used in jewelry making, and even the jewelry itself, was often used as currency. In the beginning, the only materials that were unavailable was metal.

It was not used until after early Asian or later European contact. Therefore, most of the jewelry you’ll see from the Pacific is usually strung. Some of the materials readily available were coral, jade, bone, bamboo, teeth, shells, seeds, nuts and feathers. The gathering of these materials, which took considerable effort, was even considered dangerous, at times. This was caused by hostile neighbors, unpredictable trading partners, treacherous coral reefs and the hazards of open sea travel in small canoes. Men usually made these long and dangerous trading expeditions while the women worked closer to home, gathering on the reefs and foraging in the bush for the required materials needed for the Pacific ethnic jewelry.

A henning wood carving woman with horn norway sculpture. She is marked on the bottom "henning carved by hand in norway". It measures approx. 8 1/4" tall, the horn is removable and measures approx. 4 1/2" long.

She is in excellent vintage condition with no chips, cracks, or breaks, there is one spot under her arm where there is a little paint missing but it looks as if the artist just missed that spot.

The Baganda and the Basoga lyre is made of lizard skin and laced with to a non-sonorous skin in the same manner as the harp and drums.
The strings are tied into a piece of wood and inserted into a hole where the two arms meet of the lyre meet.

The 'Ganda lyre' (endongo) has one hole, the 'Soga instrument (entongoli) has two pieces of cloth, barkcloth or banana fibers wrapped around the yoke. The strings are wound round and round this material until it acts as a tuning peg.

The strings on the bowl lyre are not arranged in progressive order, as they are on the arched harp and the zither.
The highest note in the scale is third from the left and the lowest, fifth. Strings 7, 2, 4, 1 and 5 are octaves.

The movable rings achieve the ideal sound on the ennanga, placed just below the tuning pegs. The strings vibrate against these rings and produce a buzzing sound. This sound is also heard on some of the lyres and sansa.
The strings on this instrument are arranged in progressive order from high to low note. The first, second and third strings from octaves with the sixth, seventh and eighth strings respectively.

The 'Ganda harpist occupied a high social position, performing solely for the Kabaka and a few important chiefs. He was the only musician allowed to amuse the royal ladies in their private rooms.
Nowadays it is popular as the adungu and widely used in Catholic and Protestant rural churches.

Art Coco is based on the edge of a beautiful creek close to Mombasa Island, on Kenya’s coast. A small workshop produces a wonderful selection of coconut fibre table mats, coasters, picture frames, trays and lampshades.

Ten employees work with the company to produce a unique range of handmade products from natural materials which are sold in East Africa and overseas. Selection of the coconut fibre suitable for making these items is undertaken by ten local families around Mombasa.

They know exactly what is required and carefully select the “ndifu” which is Kiswahili for fibre that is naturally shed by coastal coconut palms.

The fibre is selected and cut by hand. The pieces are carefully matched to create an individual pattern for each handmade product such as picture frames, tablemats and trays and then laminated to the softwood base. Lampshades are created by matching sheets of ndifu to create a consistent pattern.

Workshop Lampshades being completed at Art Coco workshop, Mombabsa.

Art Coco not only produces a beautiful range of unique and handmade accessories for the home but they also utilise local help and assistance from local families in the collection of raw materials.

By also employing ten people their support of the local community adds significant benefits to everyone associated with Art Coco.

In many societies of Central Africa, such as the Chokwe and related peoples like the Songo and the Ovimbundu, functional artifacts are transformed into prestige objects that commemorate the power and status of the chief. Chokwe chiefs possess many elaborately carved articles, including ceremonial weapons, staffs of office, tobacco pipes, and seats of office like this example in the Museum's collection. Over the course of numerous encounters with European traders as early as the seventeenth century, Chokwe chiefs appropriated the design of certain types of Western artifacts. The seats of office, or "thrones," of Chokwe chiefs, with backs, leather-covered seats, and decorative brass tacks, are modeled upon European chairs. The decoration of the chair, however, remains distinctly Chokwe in style. The elaborate figurative scenes depicted on this and other seats of office are designed as symbolic microcosms of life and represent the breadth of a leader's concerns and responsibilities.

The back uprights contain scenes from the spiritual aspect of life, including depictions of ancestors or chiefs. The dance figures along the bottom and the masked figures along the second rung refer to Chokwe initiation rites. The conical masks, known as cikunza, promote fertility and are used during the circumcision rituals of Chokwe adolescents. The topmost rung features two ngungu birds.

The ngungu bird is the largest bird known to the Chokwe and is associated with hunting—a vocation with which Chokwe leaders closely identify. It is also a good omen, a sign of success in the hunt and therefore a sign of power. In addition, the ngungu serves as a mediator between the spiritual and earthly realms, and is often displayed with other symbols of chiefly power.

Malawians are among the best wood carvers in Africa. Visitors to this small central African country are inevitably captivated by sculpted heads, small dishes and carved village scenes.Malawians are among the best wood carvers in Africa. Visitors to this small central African country are inevitably captivated by sculpted heads, small dishes and carved village scenes. These make great gifts and are easily transported home, but if someone asks you to bring back a carved chair, you may balk at the prospect of excess baggage charges or squeezing it aboard an aircraft. No such fears for the cognoscenti. They know about such things.

They have heard all about Malawi's Chiefs' Chairs. The precise origin of these chairs is uncertain. Portable chairs are found in various parts of Africa: anyone who has been to Ghana will have come across the chiefs' stools. Until recently, it was not uncommon to see a West African village chief being followed by a man carrying his small stool, probably on his head.

The possession of furniture is still a mark of status in much of poorer Africa. Beds are luxury items and the ground is more often the resting place for the night, with a small head stool as a "pillow". Such items, like the Ghanaian stools, are compact, easily fashioned from wood and eminently portable.

African Art has something very special about it. African art has not changed dramatically from the Stone Age till today and this shows in the traditional designs of every type of art, be it African masks, African fabrics, African musical instruments, African ladies Handbags, African carvings and in fact all manner of African art and crafts. It is not that symbolic African arts and crafts are only desirable in Africa; this art form has a following worldwide. Art appreciators understand that the creation of African masks and African musical instruments have a specific legacy. Methods for the creation of these items of an artistic nature have been passed down by word of mouth from father to son and mother to daughter for eons. The principle for the creation of these pieces has been for spiritual as well as practical purposes.

Ivory carving is the ornamentation of ivory by using sharp cutting tools, either mechanically or manually.

Humans have ornamentally carved ivory since prehistoric times, and much of the prehistoric work reveals information about the use of tools during the carving's time period. The ivory figure of Khufu, for the builder of the Great Pyramid, is considered a masterpiece. Ivory carvings have been discovered in the tombs of ancient Chinese rulers. Since the late Roman era ivory has been a popular medium for Christian art. Many boxes, that held religious relics, or costly jewelry were made of ivory. The ivory was usually obtained from the tusks of live elephants in India, and in Roman times, from North Africa. Ivory harvesting led to the extinction, or near-extinction of elephants in much of their former range.

Deng Shu Heng was born in 1945 in Fushan County, Shandong Province. In 1951 he moved to Tianjin to join his father. His parents were poor and worked both on farms and in various jobs around Tianjin. Deng Shu Heng left school after the 6th grade to work and left home at age 14 to make his own way in the world.

He worked various itinerant jobs. It was not an unusual life in those days, or even today. Young people leave the farms to find a new way of living and get their education through experience. It is a much more fluid and risky path, but one that served Deng well.

Even as a child he was attracted to the fine arts. He loved beautiful things. He often visited temples and monasteries to see the paintings and statues. Once on his own, he often visited Lin Jushi, a Buddhist monk in Tianjin.

He used to watch him as he painted and practiced calligraphy. He found it fascinating. The monk must have responded to his avid interest because he introduced him to Li Kun Pu, who was the Chief-secretary of the Tianjin Fine Arts Association. Li Kun Pu began tutoring him. Before long Deng's talents became evident. His life changed. He studied painting and calligraphy and developed his skill.