Painted Opera Chest From Shanxi - 19th Century Material - Porcelain These old bronze Indian bells

These old bronze Indian bells would have been used while performing puja (Hindu prayers) all over India in both homes and in temples

The figure is sculpted from this mixture fashioning all the minute details

This wonderfully carved Indian house shrine would have been set into a wall and used to house the family's favorite deity in a Hindu household

Lavender and Thyme

Painted Opera Chest From Shanxi - 19th Century Material - Porcelain These old bronze Indian bellsThis old painted Opera Chest depicts scenes of the traditional Chinese opera. This style of Chinese chest is found exclusively in Shanxi Province in Northern China and dates from the late 19th century. Opera chests, including this one, are constructed from paulownia wood (tong mu ). Paulownia trees were often planted at the birth of a daughter and were considered symbols of prosperity, fertility & marital bliss. Upon reaching maturity the tree would