Wood Patterns

This wooden panel was also in the foyer of the National Palace Museum in Taipei. I am sure you would all agree with me that is is very Chinese looking. It was somewhere near the floor from memory, but that's all I can remember. It's still a nice pattern to try to interpret into stitch.

A Decorated Pole

This decorated pole was found inside the shrine at the Shurijo Castle in Okinawa. Still more dragons decorate this pole, and we can see the influence of China with the voided clouds. Just beautiful.

Another Dragon

The panel above the throne was beautiful and decorated with gold dragons. In this pic we can see two more. The one at the bottom has four claws, while the one at the top has five. The number of claws have meanings, I just forget for the moment what they mean. I know the more claws the dragon has, the better everything is, luck, wealth etc. Whatever they mean, the decorations on the panel above the throne were beautiful

A Dragon

A close up view of one of the dragons dragons decorating the panel above The King's Chair. Lots of Chinese influence here. Isn't he fabulous!

Decorative Panel

This panel sat on the wall above the King's Chair that I showed you yesterday. Obviously saying something, but I have no idea what. The patterns in the frame and the dragons below are fabulous.

A Chair

How is this for a chair?   This chair was located in the the main shrine at the Shurijo Castle. It is believed to be throne upon which sat the King. Richly decorated in gold and Vermillian, it features many patterns that I could reproduce in my stitching somewhere. What about those  two dragons decorating the arms of this chair? Are they not fabulous!

Shrine Decoration Pt 4

Another panel of decoration on the Fushimi Inari Shrine. This is very similar to the last one, just shorter and wider. Beautiful!

Shrine Decoration Pt 3

Another decorative panel on a railing of the Fushimi Inari Shrine. This one is similar to the one I showed you a few days back, just narrower and mirrored.

Shrine Decoration Pt 2

Another panel from the Fushimi Inari Shrine. This one was at the base of a post. Inspiration plus!

Shrine Decoration

The gateway into the Fushimi Inari Shrine is full of decoration and inspiration. From a distance it appears to be gold, but I would say that is not the case. My guess would be stamped  brass, but brass would need an awful lot of polishing, especially out in the weather! They are metal of some kind, then carved, moulded, etched, stamped or whatever into these beautiful panels. The panels have then been nailed to the timber structure. I did wonder if the panel had been painted, but I think paint would not give the fine detail that we see here. If we look closely, we can see the nails, six of them. The one at the top and three at the bottom are  different to the two at the sides. I wonder if there is a reason for this? This panel was actually sideways, decorating a railing, so we need to imagine it turned at 90 deg anti clockwise.

The panel itself is still beautiful, and full of inspiration to me as a stitcher.