Asian Ethnic Textiles

Shiva’s roll is to destroy. While this may seem negative at first thought, it is actually destruction which allows the act of creation to begin anew. Most modern Hindus follow Shivaism, so Shiva forms the most powerful of the gods in the minds of most worshippers. In his many avatars, Shiva is the god of yoga, arts, and meditation. This has increased interest of him in the minds of Westerners who participate in these practices, which have spread in popularity all over the world.

One of Shiva’s most recognizable avatars is Nataraj, literally the “king of dance,” who is depicted as dancing in a ring of fire. In one hand he holds a flame, in another he often holds a drum (‘damaru’) from which emanates the rhythm of the beginning of the universe. This form of Shiva is usually portrayed doing the ‘dance of life’ (‘Tandavam’) atop the back of the demon of ignorance, who lays across a double lotus pedestal. AsiaBarong has many Nataraja statues in stock that may not be on the website – contact us for our current selection!

Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu, is a central and beloved god in Hinduism. Together with his consort Radha, the couple represent the embodiment of love in many Hindu stories; the symbols of tenderness and caring, the Romeo and Juliet of India. His complexion in paintings is often a shade of blue, which represents his limitlessness. Krishna also is often depicted at different stages of development, as a baby eating butter, a teenager surrounded by adoring women, a young man with his consort Radha, and driving a chariot accompanied by Lord Arjuna. He is also often depicted playing a flute (‘Bansuri’) symbolizing love and serenity while surrounded by animals and ‘Gopis’ (milkmaids). This playing of the flute is an expression of his undying love for Radha. Many one of a kind statues of Krishna and Radha with Krishna are at the AsiaBarong physical gallery in the Berkshires. Contact us for our current selections!

Lord Ganesha is one of the mot easily recognizable and popular Hindu god throughout the world. Ganesh has the head of an elephant, though he is not an elephant. As the legend goes, Parvati (Shiva’s consort) created a boy, Ganesha, while Shiva was away to guard her privacy as she took a bath. When Shiva returned, he was outraged to find a boy who would not let him pass to see Parvati and cut off the boy’s head. Parvati, outraged, insisted Shiva heal the boy, so Shiva replaced the boy’s head with the head of an Elephant. Ganesha is known as the remover of obstacles in the lives of the people. He is also the patron of science, art, and for his wisdom and intellectual activities. Multiple statues of Ganesh which are not featured on the website are located at the AsiaBarong gallery in Western Massachusetts. Please contact us for current selections.

Lakshmi is the beautiful Hindu goddess of prosperity, both material and spiritual. Lakshmi is quite a popular goddess and is widely prayed to throughout India, as she is part of the “holy trinity,” Tridevi. Lakshmi is the consort to Vishnu. Often, her stickers or paintings of her footsteps placed on the outdoor stoop leading into the houses of worshippers in the hopes she will follow them with her abundance if wealth. She often is depicted sitting or standing atop a lotus flower while holding lotuses in the upper of two of her four arms. From her other hand, she showers golden coins on her worshippers. She is often surrounded by elephants with their trunks help upwards (a symbol of good fortune), and her vehicle, the owl.

Kali is the fearsome and fierce aspect of Parvati. She is also the leader of the Mahadevis, which includes goddesses from both Buddhism and Hinduism. She is deeply associated with the tantric arts and is known as the goddess of time. Kali is often depicted in a frightening pose, wearing a necklace of skulls and sticking her tongue out while standing on a sleeping Shiva’s chest. She is typically seen with dark blue or black skin, Please contact Asiabarong to see our full collection of Kali statues.

Tara (literally “star” in Sanskrit) is the goddess of compassion in Hinduism, yet is also known in Tibetan Buddhism where she is regarded as a bodhisattva, or an enlightened being. Tara also appears in Jainism. Sculptures of Tara are often the most beautiful in the Hindu or Buddhist art. There are over 20 forms of Tara, however in Tibet, the main forms of the Goddess Tara are as follows:

1. Golden Tara: prosperity and wealth
2. Black Tara: power
3. White Tara: compassion
4. Red Tara: good fortune
5. Green Tara: protection from fear.
6. Blue Tara: the sublimation of base emotions

Dewi Sri is the goddess of rice and fertility from native Indonesian religion. Though most of Indonesia is now largely Islamic (Bali is Hindu), Dewi Sri still remains a popular and important goddess who is still worshipped. In many ways, she is the mother goddess of the central Indonesian Island of Java, Bali, and Sumatra. She is often depicted with a rice bunch on her shoulder or in her hand. She represents fertility and the love of farms, the seas, and the people. She is thought to live in every rice paddy and every rice barn and daily offerings are given to her to ensure a good harvest.

The historic Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, was an entitled prince of a kingdom of India in the 5th century BCE. Due to experiences he had with the underprivileged when leaving the royal grounds as a young man, he renounced his privileged life and became enlightened. The term Buddha is a Sanskrit label meaning “Awakened one.” Thus, the word Buddha is a title. Siddhartha became a wandering teacher with a new philosophy in a Hindu land. His teachings were regarding moderation in all aspects of life. He preached a new view of perception of reality that quickly gained adherents and spread though much of Asia. AsiaBarong has an outstanding collection of Buddhas, please contact for info.

Patterned after a possibly historical Chinese Monk of the 10th century, Budai was a jolly, wandering, eccentric monk. Stories, myth, and legends arose around our wandering friend and he became part of the Chinese native religious pantheon of gods. He is part defied and part folkloric figure and widely loved. He is widely regarded as a god of prosperity, abundance, fertility and longevity. He is depicted with round stomach and sack filled with money, and sometimes is surrounded by children. He was introduced to Japan where is known as Hotei and is one of the seven gods. In the West, he is often referred to as ‘happy Buddha’, ‘fat Buddha’, or ‘laughing buddha’ due to is large belly, huge smile, and jolly demeanor.

The importance of dragons as bringers of good luck and power cannot be understated in East and Southeast Asian culture.In East Asian folklore, dragons are viewed as auspicious creatures, often seen as deities associated with rainfall and bodies of water. They are seen as just, powerful, and benevolent spirits, despite their ferocious exterior, which helps them ward off evil.Asian Dragons have no wings and often are more serpent like than their western counterparts. In one claw they often hold a pearl – a symbol of long life and wealth. In some nations, they are they derived from the pair of Naga dragons which hold the world in Hinduism. As they relate to Buddhism, dragons are part of the serpent-like “Naga” family, and are said to have helped shield Buddha from the rain as he gained enlightenment.

The om is a mantra in itself, and is placed at the beginning and end of many Hindu and Buddhists texts. Its a mystical sanskrit word that invites the gods to envelop ones thoughts during meditation. Repeating the word ‘om’ helps in the release of ego and the emptying of the mind prior to prayer.

Asia holds a wonderful diversity of musical instruments tuned to the 7-and-5-note scales throughout the continent. A range of gongs and bells are used solely within the context of religious services and within temple settings. The ethnomusicology of Asia is astounding, complex, and diverse. Asiabarong carries a large quantity of gongs, singing bowls, stringed instruments (erhu, rebab, etc.), drums, and other instruments on our campus. We also can find any instrument from Asia via special order.

One notable ensemble is the Gamelan orchestra of the Javanese, Sundanese, and Balinese peoples of Indonesia. The orchestra is made up predominantly of percussive instruments. Gamelan is still commonly played on formal occasions and during most traditional Indonesian ceremonies. For Indonesians, gamelan is an integral part of Indonesian culture.