Material: Silver
Style: China or North Laos
Size: Diameter 17 cm
Order Number:  MHSACH1

Kim Mun Lantien Sha (Yao people), silver celestial crown from Mengla, Yunnan and/or Luang Nam Tha areas, North Laos.

Many visitors to Northern Thailand will have seen Yao people. The women wear turbans and a flowing gown with a red woolly collar and hand embroidered trousers. They  carry their youngest child on their backs in a decorated cloth babycarrier. The men wear indigo jackets with silver buttons.

They are scattered in many parts of South China, Vietnam, Thailand and Laos and practise slash and burn agriculture, producing mainly rice for themselves and maize for their poultry and pigs. They also grow opium.

The Yao are a very ancient minority.  During the last 1,000 years they have migrated slowly from central China  to the southern provinces and from there to north Vietnam, northern Thailand and  northern Laos.

Reference to Yao was made first in a T’ang dynasty (618-906 AD) document – mo yao – meaning ‘not subject to compulsory service’. It probably indicates a settlement following a Yao rebellion. The mo was dropped during the Sung dynasty (960-1279 AD).

They broke up into several groups and sub-groups. They speak four main languages. The largest segment, about two-thirds of the Yao population, are the Mien and Mun language speakers.

The Yao have a close affinity with silver and it unifies all the Yao groups. They wear it every day and believe it keeps their souls within their bodies. A good part of their savings was invested in silver and passed down the generations. They did not use gold.

Old Yao silver displays excellent workmanship. Yao silversmiths are often priests, who use basic tools. They get their silver by buying it and melting down silver ingots, old silver chains and silver coins. Symbols, such as  multi-pointed stars, are deployed, whose meanings have been forgotten.

This piece is called a celestial crown. It made by girls around the time of puberty and they are entitled to wear it after an initiation ceremony.  It displays their identity and shows who they are. The centre part consists of a slightly domed silver disc, hammered in low relief to produce a highly chased 10-point star, surrounded by a  low relief chiselled design.  A large pin is fixed underneath to secure it.

Celestial crowns were worn in a variety of ceremonies including marriages and were used to cover-up the long, coiled hair of the wearer.

The Mun wear celestial crowns. The Mien never do. The Mun and their sub-groups wear it on a daily basis and at ceremonies, such as a wedding.

19th – early 20th century.

There are examples in The Yao, The Mien and Mun Yao in China, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand, Jess G. Pourret, River Books, 2002, pages 144, 164 and 165.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Yao Celestial Crown appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Bamboo or mulberry bark paper, paint from natural or chemical dyes
Style: Yunnan, China
Size: Height 114 cm, Width 50 cm
Order Number:  MHSAYPCP1

Many visitors to Northern Thailand will have seen Yao people. The women wear turbans and a flowing gown with a red woolly collar and hand embroidered trousers. They  carry their youngest child on their backs in a decorated cloth babycarrier. The men wear indigo jackets with silver buttons.

They are scattered in many parts of South China, Vietnam, Thailand and Laos and practise slash and burn agriculture, producing mainly rice for themselves and maize for their poultry and pigs. They also grow opium.

The Yao are a very ancient minority.  During the last 1,000 years they have migrated slowly from central China to the southern provinces and from there to north Vietnam, northern Thailand and  northern Laos.

Reference to Yao was made first in a T’ang dynasty (618-906 AD) document – mo yao – meaning ‘not subject to compulsory service’. It probably indicates a settlement following a Yao rebellion. The mo was dropped during the Sung dynasty (960-1279 AD).

They broke up into several groups and sub-groups. They speak four main languages. The largest segment, about two-thirds of the Yao population, are the Mien and Mun language speakers.

They practise the Taoist religion. For their ceremonies the priests require a number of ritual objects, which are considered sacred and made by highly qualified people.

The high priests, the Masters of the Tao, also need certain clothes, tunic, cotton belt, skirt, trousers, leggings and a hat. The hat is normally woven from human hair in patterns.

Mien Fang, Taoist ceremonial paintings are scrolls which are hung on walls of chapels in the priest’s house during ceremonies. Sometimes they are displayed outside. A strip of wood is sometimes inserted at the top to help it hang. They are an essential part of the ceremonies and represent Taoist deities. They are used instead of bronze or wooden images, which are very few. They are religious and not decorative. Each painting has a position and ritual function to play in a ceremony. If it is not required, it is not displayed. A full set comprises 17 and they are hung vertically (except for the horizontal Dragon Bridge of the Great Tao).

Sometimes the back of the painting, or within the painting itself, are notes about the owner, the maker, the date, the price and prayers. The Yao use Chinese characters for this.

Ideally the priest was also a painter but if not a Chinese painter could make them, copying old ones. It was a sacred activity carried out in a special room in the client’s house. The artist and client and room had to be purified and the originals which were being copied  kept spiritually clean as they were the abodes of the gods. The pictures have to radiate devotion and piety.

The outline is traced in black and then filled in in colour.  A final coating of glue is usually applied at the end to make the colours glow. Usually there are about three layers of paper joined together.

On completion of the painting, rituals are carried out.  The initial one is the opening of the eyes, that is bringing the gods to inhabit the painting through the eyes. There are two more ceremonies at yearly intervals before they can be used. If the painting is sold, the eyes are closed  and the new owner performs a new ceremony to open them again. If they are too damaged for further use, the gods are invited to leave and they are deconsecrated in a ceremony and may be sold afterwards.

The larger ones are about 140 cm x 50 cm and the shorter ones are about 50 cm x 25 cm. The horizontal Dragon Bridge of the Great Tao, depicting the whole pantheon coming in procession to fetch the soul of the deceased Yao priest to bring it to heaven, can be about 250 cm x 20 cm.  When not being used, they are kept rolled up in a box near the house altar.

Old paintings are rare because they are fragile and some have been destroyed by Christian missionaries and  Communists. Respect is paid to them.

Early – mid 20th century.

There are examples in The Yao, The Mien and Mun Yao in China, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand, Jess G. Pourret, River Books, 2002, pages 215-243 and Yao Ceremonial Paintings, Jacques Lemoine, White Lotus, 1982.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Yao Priest’s Ceremonial Painting 1 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Bamboo or mulberry bark paper, paint from natural or chemical dyes
Style: Yunnan, China
Size: Height 48 cm, Width 26 cm
Order Number:  MHSAYPCP2

Many visitors to Northern Thailand will have seen Yao people. The women wear turbans and a flowing gown with a red woolly collar and hand embroidered trousers. They  carry their youngest child on their backs in a decorated cloth babycarrier. The men wear indigo jackets with silver buttons.

They are scattered in many parts of South China, Vietnam, Thailand and Laos and practise slash and burn agriculture, producing mainly rice for themselves and maize for their poultry and pigs. They also grow opium.

The Yao are a very ancient minority.  During the last 1,000 years they have migrated slowly from central China to the southern provinces and from there to north Vietnam, northern Thailand and  northern Laos.

Reference to Yao was made first in a T’ang dynasty (618-906 AD) document – mo yao – meaning ‘not subject to compulsory service’. It probably indicates a settlement following a Yao rebellion. The mo was dropped during the Sung dynasty (960-1279 AD).

They broke up into several groups and sub-groups. They speak four main languages. The largest segment, about two-thirds of the Yao population, are the Mien and Mun language speakers.

They practise the Taoist religion. For their ceremonies the priests require a number of ritual objects, which are considered sacred and made by highly qualified people.

The high priests, the Masters of the Tao, also need certain clothes, tunic, cotton belt, skirt, trousers, leggings and a hat. The hat is normally woven from human hair in patterns.

Mien Fang, Taoist ceremonial paintings are scrolls which are hung on walls of chapels in the priest’s house during ceremonies. Sometimes they are displayed outside. A strip of wood is sometimes inserted at the top to help it hang. They are an essential part of the ceremonies and represent Taoist deities. They are used instead of bronze or wooden images, which are very few. They are religious and not decorative. Each painting has a position and ritual function to play in a ceremony. If it is not required, it is not displayed. A full set comprises 17 and they are hung vertically (except for the horizontal Dragon Bridge of the Great Tao).

Sometimes the back of the painting, or within the painting itself, are notes about the owner, the maker, the date, the price and prayers. The Yao use Chinese characters for this.

Ideally the priest was also a painter but if not a Chinese painter could make them, copying old ones. It was a sacred activity carried out in a special room in the client’s house. The artist and client and room had to be purified and the originals which were being copied  kept spiritually clean as they were the abodes of the gods. The pictures have to radiate devotion and piety.

The outline is traced in black and then filled in in colour.  A final coating of glue is usually applied at the end to make the colours glow. Usually there are about three layers of paper joined together.

On completion of the painting, rituals are carried out.  The initial one is the opening of the eyes, that is bringing the gods to inhabit the painting through the eyes. There are two more ceremonies at yearly intervals before they can be used. If the painting is sold, the eyes are closed  and the new owner performs a new ceremony to open them again. If they are too damaged for further use, the gods are invited to leave and they are deconsecrated in a ceremony and may be sold afterwards.

The larger ones are about 140 cm x 50 cm and the shorter ones are about 50 cm x 25 cm. The horizontal Dragon Bridge of the Great Tao, depicting the whole pantheon coming in procession to fetch the soul of the deceased Yao priest to bring it to heaven, can be about 250 cm x 20 cm.  When not being used, they are kept rolled up in a box near the house altar.

Old paintings are rare because they are fragile and some have been destroyed by Christian missionaries and  Communists. Respect is paid to them.

Early – mid 20th century.

There are examples in The Yao, The Mien and Mun Yao in China, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand, Jess G. Pourret, River Books, 2002, pages 215-243 and Yao Ceremonial Paintings, Jacques Lemoine, White Lotus, 1982.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Yao Priest’s Ceremonial Painting 2 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Bamboo or mulberry bark paper, paint from natural or chemical dyes
Style: Yunnan, China
Size: Height 49 cm, Width 28 cm
Order Number:  MHSAYPCP3

Many visitors to Northern Thailand will have seen Yao people. The women wear turbans and a flowing gown with a red woolly collar and hand embroidered trousers. They  carry their youngest child on their backs in a decorated cloth babycarrier. The men wear indigo jackets with silver buttons.

They are scattered in many parts of South China, Vietnam, Thailand and Laos and practise slash and burn agriculture, producing mainly rice for themselves and maize for their poultry and pigs. They also grow opium.

The Yao are a very ancient minority.  During the last 1,000 years they have migrated slowly from central China to the southern provinces and from there to north Vietnam, northern Thailand and  northern Laos.

Reference to Yao was made first in a T’ang dynasty (618-906 AD) document – mo yao – meaning ‘not subject to compulsory service’. It probably indicates a settlement following a Yao rebellion. The mo was dropped during the Sung dynasty (960-1279 AD).

They broke up into several groups and sub-groups. They speak four main languages. The largest segment, about two-thirds of the Yao population, are the Mien and Mun language speakers.

They practise the Taoist religion. For their ceremonies the priests require a number of ritual objects, which are considered sacred and made by highly qualified people.

The high priests, the Masters of the Tao, also need certain clothes, tunic, cotton belt, skirt, trousers, leggings and a hat. The hat is normally woven from human hair in patterns.

Mien Fang, Taoist ceremonial paintings are scrolls which are hung on walls of chapels in the priest’s house during ceremonies. Sometimes they are displayed outside. A strip of wood is sometimes inserted at the top to help it hang. They are an essential part of the ceremonies and represent Taoist deities. They are used instead of bronze or wooden images, which are very few. They are religious and not decorative. Each painting has a position and ritual function to play in a ceremony. If it is not required, it is not displayed. A full set comprises 17 and they are hung vertically (except for the horizontal Dragon Bridge of the Great Tao).

Sometimes the back of the painting, or within the painting itself, are notes about the owner, the maker, the date, the price and prayers. The Yao use Chinese characters for this.

Ideally the priest was also a painter but if not a Chinese painter could make them, copying old ones. It was a sacred activity carried out in a special room in the client’s house. The artist and client and room had to be purified and the originals which were being copied  kept spiritually clean as they were the abodes of the gods. The pictures have to radiate devotion and piety.

The outline is traced in black and then filled in in colour.  A final coating of glue is usually applied at the end to make the colours glow. Usually there are about three layers of paper joined together.

On completion of the painting, rituals are carried out.  The initial one is the opening of the eyes, that is bringing the gods to inhabit the painting through the eyes. There are two more ceremonies at yearly intervals before they can be used. If the painting is sold, the eyes are closed  and the new owner performs a new ceremony to open them again. If they are too damaged for further use, the gods are invited to leave and they are deconsecrated in a ceremony and may be sold afterwards.

The larger ones are about 140 cm x 50 cm and the shorter ones are about 50 cm x 25 cm. The horizontal Dragon Bridge of the Great Tao, depicting the whole pantheon coming in procession to fetch the soul of the deceased Yao priest to bring it to heaven, can be about 250 cm x 20 cm.  When not being used, they are kept rolled up in a box near the house altar.

Old paintings are rare because they are fragile and some have been destroyed by Christian missionaries and  Communists. Respect is paid to them.

Early – mid 20th century.

There are examples in The Yao, The Mien and Mun Yao in China, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand, Jess G. Pourret, River Books, 2002, pages 215-243 and Yao Ceremonial Paintings, Jacques Lemoine, White Lotus, 1982.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Yao Priest’s Ceremonial Painting 3 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Bamboo or mulberry bark paper, paint from natural or chemical dyes
Style: Yunnan, China
Size: Height 387 cm, Width 19 cm
Order Number:  MHSAYPCP4

Many visitors to Northern Thailand will have seen Yao people. The women wear turbans and a flowing gown with a red woolly collar and hand embroidered trousers. They  carry their youngest child on their backs in a decorated cloth babycarrier. The men wear indigo jackets with silver buttons.

They are scattered in many parts of South China, Vietnam, Thailand and Laos and practise slash and burn agriculture, producing mainly rice for themselves and maize for their poultry and pigs. They also grow opium.

The Yao are a very ancient minority.  During the last 1,000 years they have migrated slowly from central China to the southern provinces and from there to north Vietnam, northern Thailand and  northern Laos.

Reference to Yao was made first in a T’ang dynasty (618-906 AD) document – mo yao – meaning ‘not subject to compulsory service’. It probably indicates a settlement following a Yao rebellion. The mo was dropped during the Sung dynasty (960-1279 AD).

They broke up into several groups and sub-groups. They speak four main languages. The largest segment, about two-thirds of the Yao population, are the Mien and Mun language speakers.

They practise the Taoist religion. For their ceremonies the priests require a number of ritual objects, which are considered sacred and made by highly qualified people.

The high priests, the Masters of the Tao, also need certain clothes, tunic, cotton belt, skirt, trousers, leggings and a hat. The hat is normally woven from human hair in patterns.

Mien Fang, Taoist ceremonial paintings are scrolls which are hung on walls of chapels in the priest’s house during ceremonies. Sometimes they are displayed outside. A strip of wood is sometimes inserted at the top to help it hang. They are an essential part of the ceremonies and represent Taoist deities. They are used instead of bronze or wooden images, which are very few. They are religious and not decorative. Each painting has a position and ritual function to play in a ceremony. If it is not required, it is not displayed. A full set comprises 17 and they are hung vertically (except for the horizontal Dragon Bridge of the Great Tao).

Sometimes the back of the painting, or within the painting itself, are notes about the owner, the maker, the date, the price and prayers. The Yao use Chinese characters for this.

Ideally the priest was also a painter but if not a Chinese painter could make them, copying old ones. It was a sacred activity carried out in a special room in the client’s house. The artist and client and room had to be purified and the originals which were being copied  kept spiritually clean as they were the abodes of the gods. The pictures have to radiate devotion and piety.

The outline is traced in black and then filled in in colour.  A final coating of glue is usually applied at the end to make the colours glow. Usually there are about three layers of paper joined together.

On completion of the painting, rituals are carried out.  The initial one is the opening of the eyes, that is bringing the gods to inhabit the painting through the eyes. There are two more ceremonies at yearly intervals before they can be used. If the painting is sold, the eyes are closed  and the new owner performs a new ceremony to open them again. If they are too damaged for further use, the gods are invited to leave and they are deconsecrated in a ceremony and may be sold afterwards.

The larger ones are about 140 cm x 50 cm and the shorter ones are about 50 cm x 25 cm. The horizontal Dragon Bridge of the Great Tao, depicting the whole pantheon coming in procession to fetch the soul of the deceased Yao priest to bring it to heaven, can be about 250 cm x 20 cm.  When not being used, they are kept rolled up in a box near the house altar.

Old paintings are rare because they are fragile and some have been destroyed by Christian missionaries and  Communists. Respect is paid to them.

This Dragon Bridge of the Great Tao is called by the Yao Tom To Luang Tsiou. It is displayed above the other scrolls and is only used when the soul of a fully fledged Taoist priest is sent to Heaven. It is suspended horizontally  from the lintel of the front door down to the floor in the middle of the room, forming a symbolic bridge from Heaven to Earth. The ceremony is held some months after his death and burial. His seal is burnt as an offering to prove his identity.

It is in 3 parts. On the extreme left, the part at floor level, a group of Yao priests welcomes the long procession of gods. In the middle is the deceased priest and his wife carried on the same sedan chair. At the end, nearest Heaven, are theThree Pure Ones, wearing robes, top knots and halos. They are called Tot Ta (the oldest), Leng Si (the most revered) and Leng Pu (the youngest) and came from Heaven and imparted their knowledge to humans.  There are priests wearing hats woven from human hair. There are musicians playing oboes and cymbals. Music accompanies rituals. There are people carrying parasols and flags.

Early – mid 20th century.

There are examples in The Yao, The Mien and Mun Yao in China, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand, Jess G. Pourret, River Books, 2002, pages 215-243 and Yao Ceremonial Paintings, Jacques Lemoine, White Lotus, 1982.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Yao Priest’s Ceremonial Painting 4: Dragon Bridge of the Great Tao appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Bamboo or mulberry bark paper, paint from natural or chemical dyes
Style: Yunnan, China
Size: Height 45 cm, Width 25 cm
Order Number:  MHSAYPCP5

Many visitors to Northern Thailand will have seen Yao people. The women wear turbans and a flowing gown with a red woolly collar and hand embroidered trousers. They  carry their youngest child on their backs in a decorated cloth babycarrier. The men wear indigo jackets with silver buttons.

They are scattered in many parts of South China, Vietnam, Thailand and Laos and practise slash and burn agriculture, producing mainly rice for themselves and maize for their poultry and pigs. They also grow opium.

The Yao are a very ancient minority.  During the last 1,000 years they have migrated slowly from central China to the southern provinces and from there to north Vietnam, northern Thailand and  northern Laos.

Reference to Yao was made first in a T’ang dynasty (618-906 AD) document – mo yao – meaning ‘not subject to compulsory service’. It probably indicates a settlement following a Yao rebellion. The mo was dropped during the Sung dynasty (960-1279 AD).

They broke up into several groups and sub-groups. They speak four main languages. The largest segment, about two-thirds of the Yao population, are the Mien and Mun language speakers.

They practise the Taoist religion. For their ceremonies the priests require a number of ritual objects, which are considered sacred and made by highly qualified people.

The high priests, the Masters of the Tao, also need certain clothes, tunic, cotton belt, skirt, trousers, leggings and a hat. The hat is normally woven from human hair in patterns.

Mien Fang, Taoist ceremonial paintings are scrolls which are hung on walls of chapels in the priest’s house during ceremonies. Sometimes they are displayed outside. A strip of wood is sometimes inserted at the top to help it hang. They are an essential part of the ceremonies and represent Taoist deities. They are used instead of bronze or wooden images, which are very few. They are religious and not decorative. Each painting has a position and ritual function to play in a ceremony. If it is not required, it is not displayed. A full set comprises 17 and they are hung vertically (except for the horizontal Dragon Bridge of the Great Tao).

Sometimes the back of the painting, or within the painting itself, are notes about the owner, the maker, the date, the price and prayers. The Yao use Chinese characters for this.

Ideally the priest was also a painter but if not a Chinese painter could make them, copying old ones. It was a sacred activity carried out in a special room in the client’s house. The artist and client and room had to be purified and the originals which were being copied  kept spiritually clean as they were the abodes of the gods. The pictures have to radiate devotion and piety.

The outline is traced in black and then filled in in colour.  A final coating of glue is usually applied at the end to make the colours glow. Usually there are about three layers of paper joined together.

On completion of the painting, rituals are carried out.  The initial one is the opening of the eyes, that is bringing the gods to inhabit the painting through the eyes. There are two more ceremonies at yearly intervals before they can be used. If the painting is sold, the eyes are closed  and the new owner performs a new ceremony to open them again. If they are too damaged for further use, the gods are invited to leave and they are deconsecrated in a ceremony and may be sold afterwards.

The larger ones are about 140 cm x 50 cm and the shorter ones are about 50 cm x 25 cm. The horizontal Dragon Bridge of the Great Tao, depicting the whole pantheon coming in procession to fetch the soul of the deceased Yao priest to bring it to heaven, can be about 250 cm x 20 cm.  When not being used, they are kept rolled up in a box near the house altar.

Old paintings are rare because they are fragile and some have been destroyed by Christian missionaries and  Communists. Respect is paid to them.

Early – mid 20th century.

There are examples in The Yao, The Mien and Mun Yao in China, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand, Jess G. Pourret, River Books, 2002, pages 215-243 and Yao Ceremonial Paintings, Jacques Lemoine, White Lotus, 1982.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Yao Priest’s Ceremonial Painting 5 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Bamboo or mulberry bark paper, paint from natural or chemical dyes
Style: Yunnan, China
Size: Height 118 cm, Width 48 cm
Order Number:  MHSAYPCP6

Many visitors to Northern Thailand will have seen Yao people. The women wear turbans and a flowing gown with a red woolly collar and hand embroidered trousers. They  carry their youngest child on their backs in a decorated cloth babycarrier. The men wear indigo jackets with silver buttons.

They are scattered in many parts of South China, Vietnam, Thailand and Laos and practise slash and burn agriculture, producing mainly rice for themselves and maize for their poultry and pigs. They also grow opium.

The Yao are a very ancient minority.  During the last 1,000 years they have migrated slowly from central China to the southern provinces and from there to north Vietnam, northern Thailand and  northern Laos.

Reference to Yao was made first in a T’ang dynasty (618-906 AD) document – mo yao – meaning ‘not subject to compulsory service’. It probably indicates a settlement following a Yao rebellion. The mo was dropped during the Sung dynasty (960-1279 AD).

They broke up into several groups and sub-groups. They speak four main languages. The largest segment, about two-thirds of the Yao population, are the Mien and Mun language speakers.

They practise the Taoist religion. For their ceremonies the priests require a number of ritual objects, which are considered sacred and made by highly qualified people.

The high priests, the Masters of the Tao, also need certain clothes, tunic, cotton belt, skirt, trousers, leggings and a hat. The hat is normally woven from human hair in patterns.

Mien Fang, Taoist ceremonial paintings are scrolls which are hung on walls of chapels in the priest’s house during ceremonies. Sometimes they are displayed outside. A strip of wood is sometimes inserted at the top to help it hang. They are an essential part of the ceremonies and represent Taoist deities. They are used instead of bronze or wooden images, which are very few. They are religious and not decorative. Each painting has a position and ritual function to play in a ceremony. If it is not required, it is not displayed. A full set comprises 17 and they are hung vertically (except for the horizontal Dragon Bridge of the Great Tao).

Sometimes the back of the painting, or within the painting itself, are notes about the owner, the maker, the date, the price and prayers. The Yao use Chinese characters for this.

Ideally the priest was also a painter but if not a Chinese painter could make them, copying old ones. It was a sacred activity carried out in a special room in the client’s house. The artist and client and room had to be purified and the originals which were being copied  kept spiritually clean as they were the abodes of the gods. The pictures have to radiate devotion and piety.

The outline is traced in black and then filled in in colour.  A final coating of glue is usually applied at the end to make the colours glow. Usually there are about three layers of paper joined together.

On completion of the painting, rituals are carried out.  The initial one is the opening of the eyes, that is bringing the gods to inhabit the painting through the eyes. There are two more ceremonies at yearly intervals before they can be used. If the painting is sold, the eyes are closed  and the new owner performs a new ceremony to open them again. If they are too damaged for further use, the gods are invited to leave and they are deconsecrated in a ceremony and may be sold afterwards.

The larger ones are about 140 cm x 50 cm and the shorter ones are about 50 cm x 25 cm. The horizontal Dragon Bridge of the Great Tao, depicting the whole pantheon coming in procession to fetch the soul of the deceased Yao priest to bring it to heaven, can be about 250 cm x 20 cm.  When not being used, they are kept rolled up in a box near the house altar.

Old paintings are rare because they are fragile and some have been destroyed by Christian missionaries and  Communists. Respect is paid to them.

Early – mid 20th century.

There are examples in The Yao, The Mien and Mun Yao in China, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand, Jess G. Pourret, River Books, 2002, pages 215-243 and Yao Ceremonial Paintings, Jacques Lemoine, White Lotus, 1982.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Yao Priest’s Ceremonial Painting 6 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Bamboo or mulberry bark paper, paint from natural or chemical dyes
Style: Yunnan, China
Size: Height 138 cm, Width 50 cm
Order Number:  MHSAYPCP7

Many visitors to Northern Thailand will have seen Yao people. The women wear turbans and a flowing gown with a red woolly collar and hand embroidered trousers. They  carry their youngest child on their backs in a decorated cloth babycarrier. The men wear indigo jackets with silver buttons.

They are scattered in many parts of South China, Vietnam, Thailand and Laos and practise slash and burn agriculture, producing mainly rice for themselves and maize for their poultry and pigs. They also grow opium.

The Yao are a very ancient minority.  During the last 1,000 years they have migrated slowly from central China to the southern provinces and from there to north Vietnam, northern Thailand and  northern Laos.

Reference to Yao was made first in a T’ang dynasty (618-906 AD) document – mo yao – meaning ‘not subject to compulsory service’. It probably indicates a settlement following a Yao rebellion. The mo was dropped during the Sung dynasty (960-1279 AD).

They broke up into several groups and sub-groups. They speak four main languages. The largest segment, about two-thirds of the Yao population, are the Mien and Mun language speakers.

They practise the Taoist religion. For their ceremonies the priests require a number of ritual objects, which are considered sacred and made by highly qualified people.

The high priests, the Masters of the Tao, also need certain clothes, tunic, cotton belt, skirt, trousers, leggings and a hat. The hat is normally woven from human hair in patterns.

Mien Fang, Taoist ceremonial paintings are scrolls which are hung on walls of chapels in the priest’s house during ceremonies. Sometimes they are displayed outside. A strip of wood is sometimes inserted at the top to help it hang. They are an essential part of the ceremonies and represent Taoist deities. They are used instead of bronze or wooden images, which are very few. They are religious and not decorative. Each painting has a position and ritual function to play in a ceremony. If it is not required, it is not displayed. A full set comprises 17 and they are hung vertically (except for the horizontal Dragon Bridge of the Great Tao).

Sometimes the back of the painting, or within the painting itself, are notes about the owner, the maker, the date, the price and prayers. The Yao use Chinese characters for this.

Ideally the priest was also a painter but if not a Chinese painter could make them, copying old ones. It was a sacred activity carried out in a special room in the client’s house. The artist and client and room had to be purified and the originals which were being copied  kept spiritually clean as they were the abodes of the gods. The pictures have to radiate devotion and piety.

The outline is traced in black and then filled in in colour.  A final coating of glue is usually applied at the end to make the colours glow. Usually there are about three layers of paper joined together.

On completion of the painting, rituals are carried out.  The initial one is the opening of the eyes, that is bringing the gods to inhabit the painting through the eyes. There are two more ceremonies at yearly intervals before they can be used. If the painting is sold, the eyes are closed  and the new owner performs a new ceremony to open them again. If they are too damaged for further use, the gods are invited to leave and they are deconsecrated in a ceremony and may be sold afterwards.

The larger ones are about 140 cm x 50 cm and the shorter ones are about 50 cm x 25 cm. The horizontal Dragon Bridge of the Great Tao, depicting the whole pantheon coming in procession to fetch the soul of the deceased Yao priest to bring it to heaven, can be about 250 cm x 20 cm.  When not being used, they are kept rolled up in a box near the house altar.

Old paintings are rare because they are fragile and some have been destroyed by Christian missionaries and  Communists. Respect is paid to them.

Early – mid 20th century.

There are examples in The Yao, The Mien and Mun Yao in China, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand, Jess G. Pourret, River Books, 2002, pages 215-243 and Yao Ceremonial Paintings, Jacques Lemoine, White Lotus, 1982.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Yao Priest’s Ceremonial Painting 7 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Bamboo or mulberry bark paper, paint from natural or chemical dyes
Style: Yunnan, China
Size: Height 49 cm, Width 28 cm
Order Number:  MHSAYPCP8

Many visitors to Northern Thailand will have seen Yao people. The women wear turbans and a flowing gown with a red woolly collar and hand embroidered trousers. They  carry their youngest child on their backs in a decorated cloth babycarrier. The men wear indigo jackets with silver buttons.

They are scattered in many parts of South China, Vietnam, Thailand and Laos and practise slash and burn agriculture, producing mainly rice for themselves and maize for their poultry and pigs. They also grow opium.

The Yao are a very ancient minority.  During the last 1,000 years they have migrated slowly from central China to the southern provinces and from there to north Vietnam, northern Thailand and  northern Laos.

Reference to Yao was made first in a T’ang dynasty (618-906 AD) document – mo yao – meaning ‘not subject to compulsory service’. It probably indicates a settlement following a Yao rebellion. The mo was dropped during the Sung dynasty (960-1279 AD).

They broke up into several groups and sub-groups. They speak four main languages. The largest segment, about two-thirds of the Yao population, are the Mien and Mun language speakers.

They practise the Taoist religion. For their ceremonies the priests require a number of ritual objects, which are considered sacred and made by highly qualified people.

The high priests, the Masters of the Tao, also need certain clothes, tunic, cotton belt, skirt, trousers, leggings and a hat. The hat is normally woven from human hair in patterns.

Mien Fang, Taoist ceremonial paintings are scrolls which are hung on walls of chapels in the priest’s house during ceremonies. Sometimes they are displayed outside. A strip of wood is sometimes inserted at the top to help it hang. They are an essential part of the ceremonies and represent Taoist deities. They are used instead of bronze or wooden images, which are very few. They are religious and not decorative. Each painting has a position and ritual function to play in a ceremony. If it is not required, it is not displayed. A full set comprises 17 and they are hung vertically (except for the horizontal Dragon Bridge of the Great Tao).

Sometimes the back of the painting, or within the painting itself, are notes about the owner, the maker, the date, the price and prayers. The Yao use Chinese characters for this.

Ideally the priest was also a painter but if not a Chinese painter could make them, copying old ones. It was a sacred activity carried out in a special room in the client’s house. The artist and client and room had to be purified and the originals which were being copied  kept spiritually clean as they were the abodes of the gods. The pictures have to radiate devotion and piety.

The outline is traced in black and then filled in in colour.  A final coating of glue is usually applied at the end to make the colours glow. Usually there are about three layers of paper joined together.

On completion of the painting, rituals are carried out.  The initial one is the opening of the eyes, that is bringing the gods to inhabit the painting through the eyes. There are two more ceremonies at yearly intervals before they can be used. If the painting is sold, the eyes are closed  and the new owner performs a new ceremony to open them again. If they are too damaged for further use, the gods are invited to leave and they are deconsecrated in a ceremony and may be sold afterwards.

The larger ones are about 140 cm x 50 cm and the shorter ones are about 50 cm x 25 cm. The horizontal Dragon Bridge of the Great Tao, depicting the whole pantheon coming in procession to fetch the soul of the deceased Yao priest to bring it to heaven, can be about 250 cm x 20 cm.  When not being used, they are kept rolled up in a box near the house altar.

Old paintings are rare because they are fragile and some have been destroyed by Christian missionaries and  Communists. Respect is paid to them.

Early – mid 20th century.

There are examples in The Yao, The Mien and Mun Yao in China, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand, Jess G. Pourret, River Books, 2002, pages 215-243 and Yao Ceremonial Paintings, Jacques Lemoine, White Lotus, 1982.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Yao Priest’s Ceremonial Painting 8 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Human hair
Style: Yunnan, China
Size: Height 8 cm, Diameter 16 cm
Order Number:  MHSAYPHHH1

Many visitors to Northern Thailand will have seen Yao people. The women wear turbans and a flowing gown with a red woolly collar and hand embroidered trousers. They  carry their youngest child on their backs in a decorated cloth babycarrier. The men wear indigo jackets with silver buttons.

They are scattered in many parts of South China, Vietnam, Thailand and Laos and practise slash and burn agriculture, producing mainly rice for themselves and maize for their poultry and pigs. They also grow opium.

The Yao are a very ancient minority.  During the last 1,000 years they have migrated slowly from central China to the southern provinces and from there to north Vietnam, northern Thailand and  northern Laos.

Reference to Yao was made first in a T’ang dynasty (618-906 AD) document – mo yao – meaning ‘not subject to compulsory service’. It probably indicates a settlement following a Yao rebellion. The mo was dropped during the Sung dynasty (960-1279 AD).

They broke up into several groups and sub-groups. They speak four main languages. The largest segment, about two-thirds of the Yao population, are the Mien and Mun language speakers.

They practise the Taoist religion. For their ceremonies the priests require a number of ritual objects, which are considered sacred and made by highly qualified people.

The high priests, the Masters of the Tao, also need certain clothes, tunic, cotton belt, skirt, trousers, leggings and a hat. The hat is normally woven from human hair in patterns.

The hats are time consuming and difficult to make. Hair strands are twisted together into thicker ones, dyed dark brown, and then woven into patterns. The flat piece is then cut to size and sewn into the required shape. Human hair is resilient and shows little wear and tear after many years use.

Early – mid 20th century.

There are examples in The Yao, The Mien and Mun Yao in China, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand, Jess G. Pourret, River Books, 2002, page 198.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Yao Priest’s Human Hair Hat 1 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Human hair
Style: Yunnan, China
Size: Height 11 cm, Diameter 17 cm
Order Number:  MHSAYPHHH2

Many visitors to Northern Thailand will have seen Yao people. The women wear turbans and a flowing gown with a red woolly collar and hand embroidered trousers. They  carry their youngest child on their backs in a decorated cloth babycarrier. The men wear indigo jackets with silver buttons.

They are scattered in many parts of South China, Vietnam, Thailand and Laos and practise slash and burn agriculture, producing mainly rice for themselves and maize for their poultry and pigs. They also grow opium.

The Yao are a very ancient minority.  During the last 1,000 years they have migrated slowly from central China to the southern provinces and from there to north Vietnam, northern Thailand and  northern Laos.

Reference to Yao was made first in a T’ang dynasty (618-906 AD) document – mo yao – meaning ‘not subject to compulsory service’. It probably indicates a settlement following a Yao rebellion. The mo was dropped during the Sung dynasty (960-1279 AD).

They broke up into several groups and sub-groups. They speak four main languages. The largest segment, about two-thirds of the Yao population, are the Mien and Mun language speakers.

They practise the Taoist religion. For their ceremonies the priests require a number of ritual objects, which are considered sacred and made by highly qualified people.

The high priests, the Masters of the Tao, also need certain clothes, tunic, cotton belt, skirt, trousers, leggings and a hat. The hat is normally woven from human hair in patterns.

The hats are time consuming and difficult to make. Hair strands are twisted together into thicker ones, dyed dark brown, and then woven into patterns. The flat piece is then cut to size and sewn into the required shape. Human hair is resilient and shows little wear and tear after many years use.

Early – mid 20th century.

There are examples in The Yao, The Mien and Mun Yao in China, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand, Jess G. Pourret, River Books, 2002, page 198.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Yao Priest’s Human Hair Hat 2 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Human hair
Style: Yunnan, China
Size: Height 9 cm, Diameter 18 cm
Order Number:  MHSAYPHHH3

Many visitors to Northern Thailand will have seen Yao people. The women wear turbans and a flowing gown with a red woolly collar and hand embroidered trousers. They  carry their youngest child on their backs in a decorated cloth babycarrier. The men wear indigo jackets with silver buttons.

They are scattered in many parts of South China, Vietnam, Thailand and Laos and practise slash and burn agriculture, producing mainly rice for themselves and maize for their poultry and pigs. They also grow opium.

The Yao are a very ancient minority.  During the last 1,000 years they have migrated slowly from central China to the southern provinces and from there to north Vietnam, northern Thailand and  northern Laos.

Reference to Yao was made first in a T’ang dynasty (618-906 AD) document – mo yao – meaning ‘not subject to compulsory service’. It probably indicates a settlement following a Yao rebellion. The mo was dropped during the Sung dynasty (960-1279 AD).

They broke up into several groups and sub-groups. They speak four main languages. The largest segment, about two-thirds of the Yao population, are the Mien and Mun language speakers.

They practise the Taoist religion. For their ceremonies the priests require a number of ritual objects, which are considered sacred and made by highly qualified people.

The high priests, the Masters of the Tao, also need certain clothes, tunic, cotton belt, skirt, trousers, leggings and a hat. The hat is normally woven from human hair in patterns.

The hats are time consuming and difficult to make. Hair strands are twisted together into thicker ones, dyed dark brown, and then woven into patterns. The flat piece is then cut to size and sewn into the required shape. Human hair is resilient and shows little wear and tear after many years use.

Early – mid 20th century.

There are examples in The Yao, The Mien and Mun Yao in China, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand, Jess G. Pourret, River Books, 2002, page 198.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Yao Priest’s Human Hair Hat 3 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Human hair
Style: Yunnan, China
Size: Height 11 cm, Diameter 17 cm
Order Number:  MHSAYPHHH4

Many visitors to Northern Thailand will have seen Yao people. The women wear turbans and a flowing gown with a red woolly collar and hand embroidered trousers. They  carry their youngest child on their backs in a decorated cloth babycarrier. The men wear indigo jackets with silver buttons.

They are scattered in many parts of South China, Vietnam, Thailand and Laos and practise slash and burn agriculture, producing mainly rice for themselves and maize for their poultry and pigs. They also grow opium.

The Yao are a very ancient minority.  During the last 1,000 years they have migrated slowly from central China to the southern provinces and from there to north Vietnam, northern Thailand and  northern Laos.

Reference to Yao was made first in a T’ang dynasty (618-906 AD) document – mo yao – meaning ‘not subject to compulsory service’. It probably indicates a settlement following a Yao rebellion. The mo was dropped during the Sung dynasty (960-1279 AD).

They broke up into several groups and sub-groups. They speak four main languages. The largest segment, about two-thirds of the Yao population, are the Mien and Mun language speakers.

They practise the Taoist religion. For their ceremonies the priests require a number of ritual objects, which are considered sacred and made by highly qualified people.

The high priests, the Masters of the Tao, also need certain clothes, tunic, cotton belt, skirt, trousers, leggings and a hat. The hat is normally woven from human hair in patterns.

The hats are time consuming and difficult to make. Hair strands are twisted together into thicker ones, dyed dark brown, and then woven into patterns. The flat piece is then cut to size and sewn into the required shape. Human hair is resilient and shows little wear and tear after many years use.

Early – mid 20th century.

There are examples in The Yao, The Mien and Mun Yao in China, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand, Jess G. Pourret, River Books, 2002, page 198.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Yao Priest’s Human Hair Hat 4 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Human hair
Style: Yunnan, China
Size: Height 9 cm, Diameter 18 cm
Order Number:  MHSAYPHHH5

Many visitors to Northern Thailand will have seen Yao people. The women wear turbans and a flowing gown with a red woolly collar and hand embroidered trousers. They  carry their youngest child on their backs in a decorated cloth babycarrier. The men wear indigo jackets with silver buttons.

They are scattered in many parts of South China, Vietnam, Thailand and Laos and practise slash and burn agriculture, producing mainly rice for themselves and maize for their poultry and pigs. They also grow opium.

The Yao are a very ancient minority.  During the last 1,000 years they have migrated slowly from central China to the southern provinces and from there to north Vietnam, northern Thailand and  northern Laos.

Reference to Yao was made first in a T’ang dynasty (618-906 AD) document – mo yao – meaning ‘not subject to compulsory service’. It probably indicates a settlement following a Yao rebellion. The mo was dropped during the Sung dynasty (960-1279 AD).

They broke up into several groups and sub-groups. They speak four main languages. The largest segment, about two-thirds of the Yao population, are the Mien and Mun language speakers.

They practise the Taoist religion. For their ceremonies the priests require a number of ritual objects, which are considered sacred and made by highly qualified people.

The high priests, the Masters of the Tao, also need certain clothes, tunic, cotton belt, skirt, trousers, leggings and a hat. The hat is normally woven from human hair in patterns.

The hats are time consuming and difficult to make. Hair strands are twisted together into thicker ones, dyed dark brown, and then woven into patterns. The flat piece is then cut to size and sewn into the required shape. Human hair is resilient and shows little wear and tear after many years use.

Early – mid 20th century.

There are examples in The Yao, The Mien and Mun Yao in China, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand, Jess G. Pourret, River Books, 2002, page 198.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Yao Priest’s Human Hair Hat 5 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Bronze
Style: China or North Laos
Size: Height 5.25 cm, Width 5.5 cm, Depth 3.5 cm
Order Number:  MHSAYPYC1

Many visitors to Northern Thailand will have seen Yao people. The women wear turbans and a flowing gown with a red woolly collar and hand embroidered trousers. They  carry their youngest child on their backs in a decorated cloth babycarrier. The men wear indigo jackets with silver buttons.

They are scattered in many parts of South China, Vietnam, Thailand and Laos and practise slash and burn agriculture, producing mainly rice for themselves and maize for their poultry and pigs. They also grow opium.

The Yao are a very ancient minority.  During the last 1,000 years they have migrated slowly from central China  to the southern provinces and from there to north Vietnam, northern Thailand and  northern Laos.

Reference to Yao was made first in a T’ang dynasty (618-906 AD) document – mo yao – meaning ‘not subject to compulsory service’. It probably indicates a settlement following a Yao rebellion. The mo was dropped during the Sung dynasty (960-1279 AD).

They broke up into several groups and sub-groups. They speak four main languages. The largest segment, about two-thirds of the Yao population, are the Mien and Mun language speakers.

They practise the Taoist religion. For their ceremonies the priests require a number of ritual objects, which are considered sacred and made by highly qualified people.

One of the these many items are wooden or bronze seals or chops (Yen) to expedite messages to the gods. They used a special red ink, mixing a red powder with water. The message on the base in Chinese characters reads, ‘By order of the Emperor, expedite promptly the message to the gods’.

Each priest would have his own stamp, presented to him at his ordination, with his priest’s certificate. His wife would have one too. The stamp and certificate would be burned when the priest died.

19th – early 20th century.

There are examples in The Yao, The Mien and Mun Yao in China, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand, Jess G. Pourret, River Books, 2002, page 206.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Yao Priest’s Yen Chop 1 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Bronze
Style: China or North Laos
Size: Height 4.25 cm, Width 4.5 cm, Depth 3.5 cm
Order Number:  MHSAYPYC2

Many visitors to Northern Thailand will have seen Yao people. The women wear turbans and a flowing gown with a red woolly collar and hand embroidered trousers. They  carry their youngest child on their backs in a decorated cloth babycarrier. The men wear indigo jackets with silver buttons.

They are scattered in many parts of South China, Vietnam, Thailand and Laos and practise slash and burn agriculture, producing mainly rice for themselves and maize for their poultry and pigs. They also grow opium.

The Yao are a very ancient minority.  During the last 1,000 years they have migrated slowly from central China  to the southern provinces and from there to north Vietnam, northern Thailand and  northern Laos.

Reference to Yao was made first in a T’ang dynasty (618-906 AD) document – mo yao – meaning ‘not subject to compulsory service’. It probably indicates a settlement following a Yao rebellion. The mo was dropped during the Sung dynasty (960-1279 AD).

They broke up into several groups and sub-groups. They speak four main languages. The largest segment, about two-thirds of the Yao population, are the Mien and Mun language speakers.

They practise the Taoist religion. For their ceremonies the priests require a number of ritual objects, which are considered sacred and made by highly qualified people.

One of the these many items are wooden or bronze seals or chops (Yen) to expedite messages to the gods. They used a special red ink, mixing a red powder with water. The message on the base in Chinese characters reads, ‘By order of the Emperor, expedite promptly the message to the gods’.

Each priest would have his own stamp, presented to him at his ordination, with his priest’s certificate. His wife would have one too. The stamp and certificate would be burned when the priest died.

19th – early 20th century.

There are examples in The Yao, The Mien and Mun Yao in China, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand, Jess G. Pourret, River Books, 2002, page 206.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Yao Priest’s Yen Chop 2 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Wood
Style: China or North Laos
Size: Height 5.5 cm, Width 5.5 cm
Order Number:  MHSAYPYC3

Many visitors to Northern Thailand will have seen Yao people. The women wear turbans and a flowing gown with a red woolly collar and hand embroidered trousers. They  carry their youngest child on their backs in a decorated cloth babycarrier. The men wear indigo jackets with silver buttons.

They are scattered in many parts of South China, Vietnam, Thailand and Laos and practise slash and burn agriculture, producing mainly rice for themselves and maize for their poultry and pigs. They also grow opium.

The Yao are a very ancient minority.  During the last 1,000 years they have migrated slowly from central China  to the southern provinces and from there to north Vietnam, northern Thailand and  northern Laos.

Reference to Yao was made first in a T’ang dynasty (618-906 AD) document – mo yao – meaning ‘not subject to compulsory service’. It probably indicates a settlement following a Yao rebellion. The mo was dropped during the Sung dynasty (960-1279 AD).

They broke up into several groups and sub-groups. They speak four main languages. The largest segment, about two-thirds of the Yao population, are the Mien and Mun language speakers.

They practise the Taoist religion. For their ceremonies the priests require a number of ritual objects, which are considered sacred and made by highly qualified people.

One of the these many items are wooden or bronze seals or chops (Yen) to expedite messages to the gods. They used a special red ink, mixing a red powder with water. The message on the base in Chinese characters reads, ‘By order of the Emperor, expedite promptly the message to the gods’.

Each priest would have his own stamp, presented to him at his ordination, with his priest’s certificate. His wife would have one too. The stamp and certificate would be burned when the priest died.

19th – early 20th century.

There are examples in The Yao, The Mien and Mun Yao in China, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand, Jess G. Pourret, River Books, 2002, page 206.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Yao Priest’s Yen Chop 3 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Wood
Style: China or North Laos
Size: Height 5 cm, Width 5 cm
Order Number:  MHSAYPYC4

Many visitors to Northern Thailand will have seen Yao people. The women wear turbans and a flowing gown with a red woolly collar and hand embroidered trousers. They  carry their youngest child on their backs in a decorated cloth babycarrier. The men wear indigo jackets with silver buttons.

They are scattered in many parts of South China, Vietnam, Thailand and Laos and practise slash and burn agriculture, producing mainly rice for themselves and maize for their poultry and pigs. They also grow opium.

The Yao are a very ancient minority.  During the last 1,000 years they have migrated slowly from central China  to the southern provinces and from there to north Vietnam, northern Thailand and  northern Laos.

Reference to Yao was made first in a T’ang dynasty (618-906 AD) document – mo yao – meaning ‘not subject to compulsory service’. It probably indicates a settlement following a Yao rebellion. The mo was dropped during the Sung dynasty (960-1279 AD).

They broke up into several groups and sub-groups. They speak four main languages. The largest segment, about two-thirds of the Yao population, are the Mien and Mun language speakers.

They practise the Taoist religion. For their ceremonies the priests require a number of ritual objects, which are considered sacred and made by highly qualified people.

One of the these many items are wooden or bronze seals or chops (Yen) to expedite messages to the gods. They used a special red ink, mixing a red powder with water. The message on the base in Chinese characters reads, ‘By order of the Emperor, expedite promptly the message to the gods’.

Each priest would have his own stamp, presented to him at his ordination, with his priest’s certificate. His wife would have one too. The stamp and certificate would be burned when the priest died.

19th – early 20th century.

There are examples in The Yao, The Mien and Mun Yao in China, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand, Jess G. Pourret, River Books, 2002, page 206.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Yao Priest’s Yen Chop 4 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Cotton
Style: Yao
Size: Height 17 cm, Width 35 cm (to the pompom)
Order Number: MHSAYWH1

The hat of stiffened cotton with three bright pompoms was worn at the front of the head. The Yao woman’s comb was worn at the back of the head and added a fourth pompom to a very distinctive tribal hat.

Many visitors to Northern Thailand will have seen Yao people. The women wear turbans and a flowing gown with a red woolly collar and hand embroidered trousers. They  carry their youngest child on their backs in a decorated cloth babycarrier. The men wear indigo jackets with silver buttons.

They are scattered in many parts of South China, Vietnam, Thailand and Laos and practise slash and burn agriculture, producing mainly rice for themselves and maize for their poultry and pigs. They also grow opium.

The Yao are a very ancient minority.  During the last 1,000 years they have migrated slowly from central China  to the southern provinces and from there to north Vietnam, northern Thailand and  northern Laos.

Reference to Yao was made first in a T’ang dynasty (618-906 AD) document – mo yao – meaning ‘not subject to compulsory service’. It probably indicates a settlement following a Yao rebellion. The mo was dropped during the Sung dynasty (960-1279 AD).

They broke up into several groups and sub-groups. They speak four main languages. The largest segment, about two-thirds of the Yao population, are the Mien and Mun language speakers.

The Yao have a close affinity with silver and it unifies all the Yao groups. They wear it every day and believe it keeps their souls within their bodies. A good part of their savings was invested in silver and passed down the generations. They did not use gold.

The White Hmong and the Green Hmong are two sub-groups of the Miao people. The majority live in South China. During World War II the Chinese tried to stop them speaking their own language or wearing their distinctive dress, but they failed.

Many migrated to Laos. By 1850 they were established in the mountains around Luang Prabang. By the end of the 19th century there were several Hmong villages in Thailand. In 1984 there were 245 villages.

Mid 20th century.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Yao Woman’s Headdress appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Silver
Style: Yao
Size: Height 2.5 cm, Diameter 1.75 cm
Order Number: MHSYAE1

Many visitors to Northern Thailand will have seen Yao people. The women wear turbans and a flowing gown with a red woolly collar and hand embroidered trousers. They  carry their youngest child on their backs in a decorated cloth babycarrier. The men wear indigo jackets with silver buttons.

They are scattered in many parts of South China, Vietnam, Thailand and Laos and practise slash and burn agriculture, producing mainly rice for themselves and maize for their poultry and pigs. They also grow opium.

The Yao are a very ancient minority.  During the last 1,000 years they have migrated slowly from central China  to the southern provinces and from there to north Vietnam, northern Thailand and  northern Laos.

Reference to Yao was made first in a T’ang dynasty (618-906 AD) document – mo yao – meaning ‘not subject to compulsory service’. It probably indicates a settlement following a Yao rebellion. The mo was dropped during the Sung dynasty (960-1279 AD).

They broke up into several groups and sub-groups. They speak four main languages. The largest segment, about two-thirds of the Yao population, are the Mien and Mun language speakers.

The Yao have a close affinity with silver and it unifies all the Yao groups. They wear it every day and believe it keeps their souls within their bodies. A good part of their savings was invested in silver and passed down the generations. They did not use gold.

Old Yao silver displays excellent workmanship. Yao silversmiths are often priests, who use basic tools. They get their silver by buying it and melting down silver ingots, old silver chains and silver coins. Symbols, such as  multi-pointed stars, are deployed, whose meanings have been forgotten.

Many migrated to Laos. By 1850 they were established in the mountains around Luang Prabang. By the end of the 19th century there were several Hmong villages in Thailand. In 1984 there were 245 villages.

Arrow earrings, the most frequently used woman’s earring in the Mien group, is derived from a very old Yao symbol, whose meaning is lost. It looks like an arrow or spear whose shaft has been rounded into a circle to wear on the earlobe. But it could represent the sword of the Taoist Three Generals, or the Mien Taoist priest’s ceremonial staff, or the smaller sword ‘kim’ used by the priest to ward off evil spirits. The style has existed for at least 150 years.

There are examples in The Yao, The Mien and Mun Yao in China, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand, Jess G. Pourret, River Books, 2002, pages 162 and 163.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Yao Arrow Earrings appeared first on Murni's in Bali.