| Crystal
ball, Hair crystal horse and monkey,
Crystal God of Longevity
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Hair
crystal horse and
monkey |
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Mineral crystal refers
to the pure and colorless form of silica
known as quartz. If there are needle-like
inclusions of other minerals, such as
rutile or tourmaline, it is called "hair
crystal". In ancient China, this
kind of mineral "pure as water
and hard as jade" was also known
by such names as "water jade",
"water essence", and "Bodhisattva
(pure) stone".
This display of objects
from the Museum collection includes
carvings from crystal and hair crystal,
such as the "Crystal ball",
that mysterious object of fascination
in the West. In addition, a sculpture
composed of a horse and monkey brings
to mind the auspicious Chinese phrase
"quickly ennobled". In this
case, "quickly" means literally
"on a horse" in Chinese, and
"ennobled" is a homonym for
"monkey", hence the reason
why these two animals appear together.
The display also includes a smiling
figure with hands in reverence representing
the God of Longevity offering long life,
health, and peace. |
