| Click here to view the Exhibition Catalogue | A Sky Full of Gods Exhibition of Chinese Temple Sculptures 42A Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong 25 April to 9 May 2002 10:00 am - 6:00 pm (Mon - Sat) 1:00pm - 6:00 pm (Sundays) Spiritual help from the gods Harry Potter, the Oscar winning film, has taken the United States by storm and is extremely popular in China. Why do the Chinese like this film so much? When looking into Chinese culture, we should not be too surprised to find that the Chinese also believe in the supernatural powers featured in the movie. For centuries, China has stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences. It is also a land full of gods and goddesses, ranging from the creators of the world to local deities. Religious belief is an essential element of people's lives. There is a strong belief in the supernatural world with its spirits of humans (ancestors, deified heroes and worthies), of natural objects and of mythological beings dating from prehistory. The Chine Gallery in Hollywood Road, will exhibit over 100 fine examples of wooden sculptures in its spring exhibition to be held from 25 April to 9 May 2002. As a pioneer of exhibitions in Hong Kong's antique district, the gallery also holds carpet and furniture exhibitions twice a year, during spring and autumn respectively. Anwer Islam, renowned Chinese antique furniture dealer, who has been running the Chine Gallery for over ten years, says: "In the old days, life was always hard, especially for rural Chinese, and dangers always existed. Some threatened the family; others threatened the whole community - starvation and disease, flood and drought, bandits or invasion. While such threats and problems may be avoided or alleviated with spiritual help from the gods, one of the most widespread beliefs is that demons are the cause, and a great many of the minor cult deities are popular for their powers over demonic forces." Many gods have particular specialities; for instance, there are different wealth gods for success in business and for gambling. There are city gods and kitchen gods, the earth gods who protect a specific piece of land, and myriad spirits, who protect wells, mountains or bridges, distribute rain or snow, control flooding or protect humanity from disease and epidemics. Even today, these fundamental beliefs and traditions are still having a great influence on the behaviour of the Chinese. For instance, the Chinese zodiac consists of a 12-year-cycle, and a different animal represents each of the 12 years. The year of a person's birth is the primary factor in determining that person's personality traits, and his or her fate. It is generally believed that every year, there are certain animals that will infringe upon the Tai-sui (the president of the celestial ministry of time, the ruler of the year), if you are one of those animals, you will encounter bad luck during the whole year, and certain activities are banned, like driving or swimming. "What makes the Chinese civilization unique in world history is its continuity over more than 5,000 years to the present century," he says, "and these wooden sculptures act as a witness of that history. They represent the mentality, culture and beliefs of the Chinese. When you look into the story of the sculptures, you will understand their behaviour better. Furthermore, they are expertly crafted, and I can feel the inspiration of these artistic carpenters through the masterpieces they created a few centuries ago, and their spirit of creativity lives on, even today." During the Cultural Revolution between 1966 and 1976, the Chinese people and their civilization underwent an extremely difficult time. The revolution was designed to destroy the culture of pre-communist China, to eliminate the "Four Olds": old ideas, old culture, old customs, and old habits. The Red Guards, ardent supporters of the revolution, roamed across the country, destroying cultural relics, books, music and anything else representing one of the Four Olds. According to Anwer, "Most of the wooden sculptures were burned publicly, and people were thrown into jail to wash away their superstitious way of thinking. After that period, not much has remained. I have spent several years travelling through the remotest areas of China to collect the pieces. Lovers of Chinese culture should not miss this exhibition - to the best of my knowledge, such a display has never been held before." For this exhibition, he has worked with Sjoerd Hoekstra and Esther Van Wijck, two well-known Dutch stylists from the Three Dogs Studio, to create a mysterious venue, which allows your imagination to travel back to ancient times and picture yourself "mounting the clouds and riding the mist". Among the treasures on show are a mid-19th Century wooden Liu-hai (劉海). The piece was made out of nan-mu and was found in Fujian province. Liu-hai is a popular religious wealth god whose image or picture is believed to be auspicious and conducive to good fortune, and wealth in particular. He was a patron of commercial acumen and success. The piece was carved exquisitely with a three-dimensional effect, and you can still see vividly the detail in his facial expression, the way he bends his legs, his hair, and his hands. There is also an early 18th Century wooden Wei-to (韋陀). Wei-to is the protector of the Dharma, who guards the sanctuary of all Chinese Buddhist temples. He is also a guardian of the Buddhist law responsible for the discipline in monasteries and nunneries. There is a belief that, if a monk breaks his vows of abstinence and vegetarianism, he will fall sick when he passes Wei-to on his return to the monastery, and thereby earn himself prompt punishment from his superiors. Wei-to is one of the comparatively few deities who can be identified without difficulty. He is shown as a clean-shaven, young soldier. His antiquated uniform, armour and helmet, and his ponderous boots are survivors from the centuries when soldiers stood guard over their senior officers. Another precious wooden figure on show is a mid-17th Century wooden Ta-mo (達摩). Ta-mo, possibly better known as Bodhidarma to foreigners, was an Indian Buddhist missionary in about AD526 who became the first patriarch of Eastern Buddhism. One of his famous teachings was that images and relics are of little value and that religion comes not from books but from inward concentration on spiritual matters. He also taught that people should seek and find Buddha in their own hearts, not in books. Ta-mo was usually portrayed as sitting in the lotus position, carrying a fly whisk. His bare bony chest and large round eyes, thick eyebrows and frequently a pencil-thin moustache are all characteristic features of this figure. During the exhibition, Chine Gallery will be open between 10 am and 6 pm on weekdays and between 1 pm and 6 pm on Sundays. The gallery is located at 42A Hollywood Road, Central, just 30 seconds' walk from the Mid-levels escalator. Photos and details of the pieces on display can be seen on the Chine Gallery website at www.chinegallery.com, from 24 April 2002.