Chinese Jade Forms: Bi Disks

In China, jade is believed to have special properties. For centuries, green jade has been associated with rainwater, and plants, including crops such as corn.

Among its many art forms and art products, China is famous for its jade, just as Japan is famous for ikebana vases and the art of ikebana.

The bi disk is one of the oldest jade forms. The bi jade form is round and flat, and has a hole in the center. Some bi jade forms have carving son them for decoration, while others are simple and have no adorning sculptures. Dragons are one of the popular sculptures found on bi disks.

Japanese Vessels: Beauty with Function

Japanese vessels are used in many aspects of Japanese life. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are used in ikebana designs, the Japanese tea ceremony and for many other purposes.

All ikebana designs use the container as an integral part of the design. Some, such as full moon ikebana containers, have a distinct meaning.

Tea bowls used in the Japanese tea ceremony are an integral part of the ceremony. They are nice to look at, and additionally the tea bowls are important to the ceremony because they help the viewer to focus on themes such as simplicity and tranquility.