X-ray yay!

#xray #x-ray #inside #foot #child #inspiration #blackandwhite #bones #dembones

This is unusually long and thin because a) I like paintings with strange dimensions and b) it’s for a window (above a window, more later).

It’s called Willow Window.

Hidden Willow Pattern chinoiserie western dreams of the east among cloud islimi tazhib Islamic illumination also inspired by Chinese motifs.

#willowpattern #willowwindow #vaishaliprazmari #strangedimensions #inxanadu #innxanadu #chinoiserie #chineseinspired #islamicart #tazhib #illumination #islimi

Just as Siddhartha is leaving his family in order to become Buddha, he glances back – and sees his sleeping wife breastfeeding his sleeping child.

Triangular boob!

#madonna #buddha #breastfeeding #breastfeedingatnight #247job

Buddha’s left footprint Buddhapāda (as indicated by big toe on the right) – one of the oldest objects of veneration and worship associated with the Buddha – decorated with 108 auspicious symbols including royal insignia, mythical creatures, rivers, mountains and continents. There is a conch shell in each toe. Talismanic inspiration from 19th century Burma

@bl @britishlibrary

#buddhafootprint #footprint #talismanic #inspiration #1001nightsphd #vaishaliprazmari #bl #britishlibrary

Golden oldies. Book of gold – Maunggan gold plates – oldest Buddhist manuscripts found in Burma, in Pyu script, from 5th century. The text is hammered into the gold metal. These are literally solid gold leaves of a book!

@bl @britishlibrary

#gold #bookofgold #inspiration #buddhist #1001nightsphd #vaishaliprazmari #oldbooks #goldbooks

Gold on top of red on my talismanic shirt

Double the effort, double the effect though I think

#workinprogress #talismanicshirt #doingthingsproperly #gold #red #1001nightsphd #vaishaliprazmari

Chinese – Tibetan translation of Lankāvatāra Sutra (Dunhuang, China, 9-10th century), an important text in Chan or Zen Buddhism. Between the vertical Chinese script you’ll see the Tibetan. Some languages can be written both horizontally and vertically which is very flexible. The invention of concertina books represent the midway between the palm leaf format of South Asia and Chinese scrolls @bl @britishlibrary

#books #scrolls #palmleafmanuscript #concertinabook #1001nightsphd #inspiration #vaishaliprazmari #buddhisttexts #languages

4 languages – a printed dharani Buddhist text in Manchu, Chinese, Mongolian and Tibetan which preserves the original Sanskrit sounds in each (China, 1758-73). In 1735-96 the Chinese Qianlong emperor controlled vast territories with populations speaking different languages, hence the need for this text. Although I study east-west exchange I also love the rich east-east interactions too

@bl @britishlibrary

#languages #multiplelanguages #multilingual #inspiration #1001nightsphd #vaishaliprazmari #bl #britishlibrary #text #easteast #easteastinteractions

As part of my 1001 Nights PhD making 1001 artworks I want to learn 1001 Chinese characters (this figure of 1001 is quite significant to me). So, learning them together with my son, playfully, gradually and in a fun picture way… fun for him, serious for me (I need 5000 eventually, he can just enjoy the process!) So far, 7 on our fireplace (all numbers), 994 to go

#1001 #1001nightsphd #vaishaliprazmari #numbers #dates #calendar #chinesecharacters #chinese #1001chinesecharacters #wishmeluck

Talismans and amulets are often confused and used interchangeably. The way I understand it is that amulets are more general and talismans more specific, ie talismans are magically charged for a specific purpose. They can both either protect against negative forces or bring good luck.

Guanyin (Avalokiteshvara) Sutra as an amulet: a couple earnestly want a child and Guanyin compassionately grants their wish (Dunhuang, China, c.10th century); Buddha teaching Chinese monk Xuanzang in Perfection of Wisdom Sutra on protective amulet scroll, to be worn on the body (Japan, 1960); paper amulet issued by temples to worshippers (China, early 20th century) @bl @britishlibrary

#amulets #talismans #protection #inspiration #1001nightsphd #vaishaliprazmari #paper