Sang Bleu » asia

Tipu’s Tiger

Reba Maybury — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:41:55 +0000

Tipu’s tiger currently resides in London’s V and A museum where I went to visit it last week. This strange wooden object was the handmade toy for Tipu Sultan the 18th century ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in India (which today is in the Indian state of Karnataka). Made in 1790 this mechanical toy shows a tiger savaging a life sized British man. The mechanics of the toy lets out groans from the English man and makes his arm move. The tiger lets out grunts. Additionally a flap on the side of the tiger turns up to reveal a keyboard of a small pipe organ with 18 notes.

This toy represents Tipu’s hostility towards the British of the East India Company, a commercial enterprise with its own armies and civil administration, which during the late 18th century was engaged in extending British dominion in India.

Tipu also used the image of the tiger throughout his emblem, applying tiger motifs on the uniforms of his soldiers, on weapons and decorated his palace with them. His throne was supposed to have rested upon a similar life sized tiger covered in gold.

Tipu was brought up with extremely anti British feelings. Murals throughout his palace and the streets of his City Seringapatam were commissioned by him of European but mainly British men being attacked, executed, tortured and humiliated by humans, tigers and elephants.

Donate to the crisis in Japan (collaboration with Chad Koeplinger)

Jeanne-Salome Rochat — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 01:24:46 +0000

All proceeds from this shirt will be donated to the relief efforts in Japan: CLICK HERE for more info.

she said “you’re done.” and I said “great!’

Jeanne-Salome Rochat — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 13:43:45 +0000

“Crippled to the death”, she said and started laughing so I started laughing and she lit a black cigar and we smoked it, smoking and smoking and smoking until there was nothing but white, or near-yellowish white, and I could see nothing except smoke and I was all so very glad to be out there, smoking and blind, past the tables and chairs and people flirting and couples fighting, and the bottles of tonic and the bottles of vodka and the olives. At that moment I realized truly I just missed my mother, a tiny bit, there in the smoke, feeling myself disappearing. I wished I could have seen her one last time; wished I could have been her all along, which is all I ever wanted somehow, as a girl, as a woman even, to be a mother and suddenly I thought back to it all and whispered, “So long, I’m off. I am always trying to imagine death, and I thought I would imagine better one day, but have not.”

Two poor Chinese opium smokers. Gouache painting on rice-paper, 19th century.

Two wealthy Chinese opium smokers. Gouache painting on rice-paper, 19th century.

Barcelona via Korea – Juun J. and Songzio

Jason Farrer — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 15:28:37 +0000

The team at Totem brought two very modern Korean designers as guests to Barcelona 080. Check out the clean futursitic flow of Juun J. (top half) and Songzio (bottom half). Korea is definitely flexing on an international level and I find the menswear from this part of the world especially promising. These guys are showing that just a touch of sci-fi on the right guy can be pleasing to the eye. Juun and Esther Kim were on hand to enjoy the festivities with us as well as Songzio’s family and his teenage son was working overtime as English interpreter… so endearing. Its a family affair indeed. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The top 4 rows above – Juun J.

The bottom 4 rows above – Songzio

Today’s reading: The Dance of Shiva

Jeanne-Salome Rochat — Mon, 24 May 2010 17:50:42 +0000

“In the night of Brahma, nature is inert, and cannot dance till Shiva wills it: He rises from his rapture, and dancing sends through inert matter pulsing waves of awakening sound, and matter also dances appearing as a glory round about him. Dancing, he sustains its manifold phenomena. In the fulness of time, still dancing, he destroys all forms and names by fire and gives new rest. This is poetry; but none the less, science.”

Coomaraswamy, Ananda, “The Dance of Shiva; fourteen Indian Essays”, 1970, Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers, New Dehli.

giuliano Fujiwara

Ben Perdue — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 19:21:02 +0000

Debut giuliano Fujiwara womenswear collection designed by Masataka Matsumura for autumn/winter 2010/11. Sleek mix of Eastern and Western design themes, including some origami-inspired pleating and garment folding. Check out the menswear too at www.giulianofujiwara.com

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ridiculous wedding dress made up of 2009 peacock feathers

Jeanne-Salome Rochat — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:17:46 +0000

The $1.5million creation was made at an eastern China wedding dress factory and took eight workers 40 days to sew together.

Wido de Marval Water studio Lausanne

Jeanne Buechi — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 13:55:55 +0000

Some details from Wido de Marval’s studio (Darumas and other objects from Japan). they help you to forgot the pain when you are being tatooed

details

Terence Koh @ De Pury & Luxembourg 2007

Maxime Buchi — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:51:17 +0000

Terence Koh private view.
More cake than kink.
Thanx y’all.