Tusang Huiming: Is there a Chinese Folk Culture Museum here? (Photos)

Tu Sang Huiming: Is there a Chinese Folk Culture Museum here? (Photos) Tucson Huiming From the outside, like many buildings in the western United States, this street house...

>Tucang Huiming

From the outside, like many buildings in the western United States, this street house is dusty. No one would doubt that it looks like a warehouse. But once you step on her steps, you will be stunned by the furnishings in the warehouse: How come you have been in Tucson for so many years, but you didn’t realize that there is a museum here, and all the objects in it are from China! The furnishings in the museum are a bit messy, and all the exhibits are scattered in various corners of the hall - how could the American manager know about the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, or even earlier dynasties. But it is this seeming mess that gives visitors a sense of twists and turns, and a Taobao-like surprise in an instant. The most impressive thing is the ancient Chinese furniture. Here you can not only see the simple and elegant curves of the Ming Dynasty, but also appreciate the meticulous and cumbersome exquisiteness passed down from the palace in the Qing Dynasty; you can not only see the simple atmosphere with the folk customs of northern China, but also the beauty and delicacy of southern furniture. You can even smell the scent of mountains and oceans from these carved railings, and catch a glimpse of the busy cook in a blue-ground and white-flowered apron - this is a canopy bed from Ningbo, China.

Although this bed follows the style of Qing Dynasty furniture with carved dragons and painted phoenixes, it uses folk legends as its theme. The paint color is vermilion, which is in line with the local customs and preferences of pursuing celebration. I wonder what it would be like to sleep in it? At least sitting on the edge of the bed should be a newlywed couple dressed in red and green. This is a standard Ming Dynasty chair, commonly known as "Taishi chair" in China. This kind of chair originated in the Song Dynasty, and its luxury ended in the Qing Dynasty. Although the seats in the Qing Dynasty had marble-patterned backrests and exquisitely carved armrests, the latter seemed to be more popular than the mature and practical shapes of the seats in the Ming Dynasty. Good seats are made of rosewood, and even better ones are made of mahogany and rosewood, but there is no need for such luxury. Look, doesn’t the purple-red color represent the accumulation of a culture? Do the rounded and soft lines, the solid and smooth backrest and the wide and comfortable seat make you want to try sitting on it? Today's computer geeks must have no pain in their lumbar spine when sitting on this chair. The one below looks a little older, but it seems to be closer to the Qing Dynasty in style, and has more of a folk antique feel. Look carefully at the carving of dragons and phoenixes intertwined in the center of the backrest. Maybe ordinary people sometimes have the idea of ​​​​"emperors taking turns to sit". Let’s look at Chinese painted pottery and sculptures.

This is the famous Tang Sancai. It is famous all over the world because different glazes are added to various parts of the object during firing to produce different colors of yellow, green and white. This kind of animal pottery sculpture from the Tang Dynasty was not discovered until the Qing Dynasty when the railways were being built. Unexpectedly, it has now appeared on simple desks in the western United States. Fortunately, the old Americans here don’t know much about the value of this pottery, so we had the chance to meet such beautiful photos today. The sculptures of the characters also have their own characteristics. The female figurine sculptures below are probably from the late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties. The bun is the same as the Tang Dynasty, but not as complicated and complicated as the early Tang Dynasty. It is simpler and more practical. The dress is rich in Hu style, with a high waist and a low bust, which is in line with the women's clothing style influenced by the Western Regions at that time. What I don't understand is that the two female figurines lowered their sleeves and held hands, chatting happily. Are they thinking of their master's grace, or are they lamenting the harshness of today's world?

Female sculptures with more delicate features and in line with today’s aesthetic concepts include:

Everyone is familiar with the statue above. The Buddhist Bodhisattva Guanyin has always turned stones into gold and saved all living beings. Seeing her pleasant appearance and understanding, the people said that she could protect and carry on the family line, so she was also called Guanyin. The American people are also familiar with this image. Chinese people often have pendants on their car windows, and the Blessing Guanyin can sometimes be seen through the window. The figure below is also similar in stature to Guanyin, but her posture and appearance are very different from the former. Her hair is curled up, she wears less clothes, her expression is less peaceful and more expectant than the former, and her legs are crossed and changed. Although the label says "Shaanxi Goddess", it feels a bit distant. Could it be that the carver was distracted once and accidentally worshiped Guanyin instead of worshiping his own female idol. Regardless of ancient or modern times, taking the secular route always attracts attention. There are also various folk statues that appear from nowhere in China and stand majestically on the soil of the United States. Although the facial features in the first picture below are still straight, they are mottled and seem unattractive. After reading the description, I realized that this was the virtual local official of a certain place in China - the Lord of the Land. This guy doesn't look very good, but he can be considered a god, and he is the protector of the place. Although people often say, don't treat the earth god as a god, but standing in front of the wall today is a bit aggrieved.

The face above is like a full moon, with handsome features. At first glance, he looks like the kind of successful person who passed the imperial examination and finally became a minor official with a wish. He is probably a type of talent from the Ming Dynasty. Although he is considered a figure in the local area, he still has to pay homage to the one on the left no matter what. The levels of the left and right are roughly the same, but after all, the land master is a god and a spiritual leader. I wonder if Americans know their stuff? These below are also good.

The Three Character Classic is very famous in China. Although there are many versions and many explanations, not many people read it well, and even fewer people can write it in neat European style. European style fonts are known as "dangerous in the middle of peace". It seems easy for beginners to learn, but few descendants have surpassed Ouyang Xun of the Tang Dynasty. People who are not as calm as water and good at self-denial and planning will never be able to write such words. The author once saw Chinese Prime Minister Zhou Enlai practicing European sports when he was young. Although he is not as old as Ouyang, his words are like a fight and he is really unique. The European style can only be copied in small regular script and medium regular script, but the Zhou Dynasty can be copied in large regular script. No wonder he became the prime minister in the future. Far from it, seeing calligraphy not only have wild and unrestrained faces, but also neat and regular faces and brush-like pens may be a surprise and confusion to the old Americans, but to the Chinese living here, it adds a sense of intimacy and joy. I heard from the manager that the people who come here to appreciate and discuss business are all Americans. I don’t know why there are no Chinese. I think the main reason is that they don’t know. Not all Chinese people like Western-style furniture and carvings. Don’t believe it? If there is a complete set of Chinese-style furniture imitating mahogany, it will be shipped away as soon as it arrives. Just use it as an advertisement, maybe you will be moved and secretly happy? (Address: 242 S. Park ave Tucson)