Dreamstones Contemplation

 

 

Tanzanite from Merelani Hills

Tanzanite from Merelani Hills

Lelatema Mountains., Arusha Region, Tanzania

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On a trip to Taiwan I saw a large dreamstone on display in an antique shop in Taichung, which apparently came from a region in the Yunnan mountains which is famous for them. It was around 3 feet in diameter and was mounted on a carved wooden frame. It had an ethereal like visage and seemed to have hidden depths to it. These dreamstones have been revered since the Tan Dynasty ( 618 – 907 AD ) for their unique appearance and were highly valued by ancient emperors, scholars, religious figures, and the aristocracy. Some Chinese scholars believed that dreamstones conveyed the essence of nature more powerfully then a painting. The Chinese word for marble is Dali, which is the name of the main region in Yunnan where the dreamstones were quarried. There are only a few established master revealers living today who have the ability to intuit where to find the marble stone and how to cut it to reveal the hidden art inside.

The shopkeeper suggested that dreamstones reflect the possibility of windows or portals into other realms of consciousness. They are a reminder of deeper mystical worlds that are there to explore and contemplate. Usually the dreamstones are characterized by an ethereal, abstract appearance and an alluring mystique that invites closer scrutiny. They are sometimes chosen if their appearance encapsulates nature forms like mountains, forests and clouds or if they display a fluid dimensionality and mystery. It is only recently that the ancient aesthetic of the dreamstone has been revived in China with the collecting of marble forms in the region of Dali in the Yunnan Province.

Just like the Eastern mandala is designed to invite prolonged concentration, leading to a meditative state, dreamstones have a similar absorbing appeal. Ceramic art and sculpture  also capture this principal, when they have the power to draw you in with their creative design and hold your attention. Raku, which is essentially a random process almost invariably produces ethereal looking results that convey mystique. Other ceramic glazing techniques can also conjure up intriguing surface patterns and features. The appeal of this art is subjective and even a simple shape has the ability to be transcendental. I chose the following pieces based on these dreamstone concepts.

 

 

 

Wedgewood Fairyland Lustre Vase

Wedgewood Fairyland Lustre Vase

The Art Nouveau fantasy ware of Wedgwood always moved through mysterious worlds.

 

 

 

 

Dreamstone panel from Dali

Dreamstone panel from Dali, China

( Christies – sold  $77,277 )

 

 

 

Rookwood vase

Rookwood vase, unusual folded form covered in a Vista Blue glaze, 1959

( Treadway Toomey Galleries )

 

 

 

 

Pricella Mouritzen

Priscilla Mouritzen, Denmark

 

 

 

 

Paul-475x720

 

On the Outskirts – ” vessel of galaxies and nebulae twirling through an iridescent cosmos. Stars and saffron and bright white,fire red and gold “

Luster pottery by Paul J Katrich, USA

 

 

 

Awakening, Lingam Ann Mallory

Awakening Lingam  – Ann Mallory

 

 

 

 

Opal---Australia blue

Australian opal

 

 

 

 

Davis Edwards The Monte Sano Art Festival

Davis Edwards

( Monte Sano Art Festival )

 

 

 

 

Mark Goudy vessel

Mark Goudy –  water soluble metal salts glaze vessel

Mark states that his pieces are designed to manipulate your perception. ” They make you want to keep looking at them, but you can’t understand what you’re seeing. It’s almost meditative. The Mandala is an example of meditative art: complex patterns that seem to fold into themselves. There’s a whole science in Buddhism about creating these images you can stare at and meditate.”

 

 

Framed Chinese Dreamstone

Framed Chinese Dreamstone

Potomac Viewing Stone Group )

 

 

 

 

Michael Wein Raku bottle

Michael Wein Raku bottle

 

 

 

 

 

Japanese-Plum-stone-475x633

 A Japanese “Ume” pattern stone

Potomac Viewing Stone Group )

 

 

 

Hand-built-wood-fired-ceramic-bell-shaped-pot-salt-glazed-by-Janet-Mansfield-Australia

Hand built  wood fired ceramic bell shaped pot salt glazed by Janet Mansfield, Australia

 

 

 

 

 

Cosmic-Form--473x727

 Cosmic Form 

Saggar and horse hair stoneware

( Steven Allen – Flickr )

 

 

Green Dangao Shi Qing Figure plaque

 

 

 

 

Golden Constellation s- Paul Katrich

Golden Constellations – Paul J Katrich

Paul Katich likes to explore his ceramic fantasies using  luster, lava, and volcanic glazes.

 

 

 

 

 

Marble-stone-from-Dali-475x506

A  marble ovoid form quarried from the towering Cangshan Mountain Range which surrounds the ancient city of Dali in the province of  Yunnan

 

 

 

 

Earthsong Pottery Rachel Coward

Raku – Earthsong Pottery Rachel Coward

 

 

Antique Japanese porcelain

Antique Japanese porcelain vase

 

 

 

 

Greg-Daly--footed-bowl-439x459

 Greg Daly – footed bowl with rich lustre glaze in cobalt blue, copper, red and gilt,  1988

( Bemboka Gallery )

 

 

 

Chinese Dreamstone

Chinese Dreamstone

 

 

 

Deb Stabley earthenware hand painted ceramic art

Deb Stabley eathernware hand painted ceramic art

 

 

 

David Crane Raku Jar

David Crane Raku Jar

 

 

 

crafthaus-439x558

 Huang yu-ying

 

 

 

 

Paul Katrich-lustre glaze vase

‘Just Before Dawn’ – Paul J Katrich

 

 

 

Chinese Meditation Stone

Chinese Meditation Stone

( Red Pagoda, Chicago )

 

 

 

Cesar Navarrete Green and Red Beauty

Cesar Navarrete –  Green and Red Beauty

( sandiafolk.com )

 

 

 

Chinese Meditation Stone

A Chinese Meditation Stone

 

 

 

 

Ceramic Dreamcatcher Gourd by Empress Lilandra

Ceramic Dreamcatcher Gourd by Empress Lilandra

( deviantart )

 

 

 

 

Car Peverall raku ovoid sculpture

” Park Guell “  – Carl Peverall raku ovoid sculpture

12″ x9″ x 7″

 

 

 

Sylvia Tell Trumbull

Sylvia Tell Trumbull

 

 

Bihn-Pho,-an-internationally-renowned-artist,-writer-and-teacher-who-primarily-crafts-thin-walled-wooden-vessels

Bihn Pho –  thin walled wooden sculptural vessel

 

 

 

 

Balance-475x633

 Dawn Whitehand, Australia

The ceramic sculpture has been pit fired: a process where the unglazed ceramics are placed in a pit in the ground with organic materials that fume the surface of the sculpture to create dramatic yet soft organic tonal hues.

 

 

 

 

Puisaye Forterre abstract contemporary sculpture in lavender and gold hues

Cloud, misty, intangible and unattainable while constantly in motion; and its movement has the distinction of becoming another. “….

Puisaye Forterre

 

 

 

Carl Peverall mystical Shiva stone - mandala like ovoid vessel

 Shiva – Carl Peverall

” l use  clay, fired in the raku technique, as a medium to express a very personal language that draws upon eclectic influences like quantum physics, the architecture of Antoni Gaudi and the sublime, elemental sculpture of Isamu Noguchi.”

Pierres-de-Rêve by Isabelle Debruyere carved dreamstones

Pierres de Rêve  – Stones Of Dreams

Dreamstones by Isabelle Debruyere, France

 

 

 

Anemoon-blue-by-Sandrina-Kreek

 ‘Anemoon Blue’ by Sandrina Kreek

Peter Voulkos

Peter Voulkos

AMOCA – American Museum Of Ceramic Art

Clementina van der Walt contemporary vase

Clementina van der Walt

Acinipo Juan Ramon Gimeno

Acinipo –  Juan Ramon Gimeno

( http://tanneryartscenter.org/ )

Art-Nouveau-VaseMassier-392x461

French Art Nouveau vase by Massier

-493x401

Reclining slumber Chinese figurine

 

Nu-Ryu-(Jeong-Eun-Ryu)-siesta

Nu Ryu  – Siesta

 

 

 

Clayton-Thiel---Truthsayer---abstract ceramic-sculpture carved features

Clayton Thiel – Truthsayer

Jade Mountain Spirit Stones

Jade Mountain-  Spirit Stones

Charming Chinese Lazul Lapis

Chinese Lazul Lapis

 

 

 

 

Les-Namingha-pottery

Les Namingha

 

 

 

Miguel Maldonado cosmic monkey sculpture

Hand-built sculpture by Miguel Maldonado featuring two decorative faces of the cosmic monkey design with fine etched detail and infusion of color.

 

 

 

 

LINARITE.-Sunshine-No.-1-Adit,-Blanchard-Mine,-Bingham,-Hansonburg-District

LINARITE.Sunshine No.-1 Hansonburg-District, Socorro

 

 

Wood fire bottle from Todd Pletcher Pottery

Wood fire bottle from Todd Pletcher

 

 

Philippe-Buraud raku vessel

Philippe Buraud, France

 

 

 

Chinese-flambé-glazed-vase,-Qianlong-Period.-1736-–-1795.-Estimates-$30,000-to-$50,000

Chinese flambé glazed vase

Qianlong Period.- 1736-–-1795

 

 

 

Alie Claessens-degalerie red contemporary vase

Alie Claessens

 

 

 

Stars-and-Clouds Paul J Katrich abstract lustre vase in dark blue, gold, turquoise

‘Stars and Clouds’  – Paul J Katrich

 

 

 

 

 

Goyin-Silveira-Burnt-Orange-Olla

Burnt Orange olla – Goyin Sliveria

 

 

 

 

Ron Mello Raku pot ovoid shape in red, black and browns

 Rone Mello

 

 

 

2 Trackbacks

  1. […] These dreamstones were revered since the Tan Dynasty ( 618 – 907 AD ) for their unique appearance and were highly valued by ancient emperors  […]

  2. By Dreamstones Contemplation | ART | Scoop.it on April 25, 2014 at 10:55 am

    […] These dreamstones were revered since the Tan Dynasty ( 618 – 907 AD ) for their unique appearance and were highly valued by ancient emperors  […]

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