Chinese straw art
Chinese straw art
Traditionally, the straw art has been popular in East Asia, where the inhabitants cultivated a variety of cereals. And the attitude to rice grain was similar to European’s to wheat. In fact, the attitude was due to the belief in the divine power of grains and, in particular, straw. According to supported in China, Korea and Japan belief, straw symbolizes purity, glory, the sun’s energy, knowledge, abundance, happiness and fertility. Besides, in the myths rice is a gift of the gods.
Also, in China, the rice grains have been a symbol of protection from evil spirits. Noteworthy, in Bali there is the cult of the Mother of Rice – a figure of which were long (masculine) and short (feminine) sheaves of rice straw. It is an expression of faith of the peoples of Southeast Asia that stalks of rice, like humans, contain vital energy.
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