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In Chinese tradition,
what are the precious things?

By Chelsie Vandaveer

September 3, 2001

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In Chinese tradition, the precious things are not pearls and jade, but the five grains--rice, soybean, wheat, barley, and millet. The first of these grains is said to be a gift from the animals. Chinese legend says that a very long time ago, heavy rains began to fall until the land was covered under a great flood. The people survived by taking refuge on the hilltops.

Landscape with rice fields, Yangshou, S China
Jacob Halaska
Buy this Giclee Print at AllPosters.com

When the waters finally receded, the people found that all the plants were destroyed or washed away. With the foods gone, the people had to return to hunting. This saddened the few animals that had survived the floods and the animals ran whenever they saw people.

One day, the starving people saw a dog coming towards them across a muddy field. Hanging from the dog's tail were long panicles of yellow seeds. The people planted these seeds in the mud and rice grew. People were no longer hungry because of the gift of rice from the animals.

In the upper plain of the Huai River in the Henan province of China, there is a 14-acre archaeological site, Jiahu. It is a Neolithic site, radiocarbon dated to 8,000 years before present. The site has yielded the remains of houses, but more importantly, carbonized grains of rice and stone tools for working the soil.

The interesting point is the location of Jiahu, a riverine plain with a climate warm enough to support the growth of the wild type of rice. But the winters in Jiahu were cold and hunting resources were limited. Archaeologists believe that the insufficient food supply "pushed" the people from hunter-gatherer toward the cultivation of rice.

Perhaps, there is a little truth to the Chinese legend and only a hungry person understands that food is more valuable than pearls and jade.

For more information about the Jiahu archaeological site and the early forms of rice, click on the link:

http://www.carleton.ca/~bgordon/Rice/papers/wang3.htm

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NOVICA's Mission

NOVICA®

In association with National Geographic, Novica today serves as an online arts agent for more than 1,700 artists in countries around the world. Visitors to the Novica Web site can read about the artists, explore their cultures, view photographs of their work and select from more than 8,500 handcrafted works.

Novica arts and technology teams (staffing Novica offices in El Salvador, Brazil, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Morocco, Peru, Thailand, Venezuela and Zimbabwe) interview each artist, photograph their artwork, post the interviews and photographs online, and handle all packing and shipping on behalf of the artist. International couriers deliver the artwork directly to customers, eliminating numerous middlemen and transferring the savings to creator and customer alike.
Click here to read more bout Novica's Mission.

Jewelry set, 'Grains of Rice'

NOVICA®

Working in shimmering Burmese silver, Thivaporn Boonnak crafts a matching necklace and bracelet.

Distinguished by its elegant simplicity, her design unites tiny cylinders with concave surfaces. They evoke sterling grains of rice.

You save 45% Click here for sale price and more info... [ View More Rice Products. ]

Customer Reviews of this Artist
I just recently purchased the Mystic Forest bracelet and I couldn't be happier. The shipment was promt and the packaging was beautiful (I'm using it as a trinket box). The detail on the bracelet is absolutely amazing and I received many compliments on it when I wore it the other day- one of my colleagues called it "absolutely exquisite". I will definitely be looking at future pieces of your work-Thank you!
- Michelle D, Newton, MA, USA Click here to read more reviews of this artist at bottom.

Rice straw paper photo album, ‘Butterfly Nature'

NOVICA®

A regal butterfly rests on kupu kupu leaves to safeguard the memories of happy and special moments.

Sukma Sucipta designs this captivating photo album, which features pages made from rice straw paper. The album is bound through a coconut wood stick and features banana bark accents.

You save 31% Click here for sale price and more info... [ View More Rice Products. ]

Organic glycerin soaps, 'Apple, Honey-Wheat & Cinnamon'

NOVICA®

Working with aromatherapy principles, Piman selects organic materials to bring a natural beauty experience to bath time.

She crafts handmade soaps in three varieties. Coffee, honey-whole wheat and apple-cinnamon are based on rice bran, palm and coconut oils to moisturize, condition and cleanse.

Ground fresh coffee beans remove odors while gently scrubbing off dead skin cells.

Rich in calcium and iron, whole wheat exfoliates dead skin cells without feeling abrasive, while honey is a wonderful emollient.

Fragrant apple-cinnamon provides natural moisturizers for soft and supple skin.

Piman crafts all three soaps with glycerin and vitamin E. They arrive in an elegant gift box of rayon and cotton, adorned with beads of rain tree wood.

You save 36% Click here for sale price and more info... [ View More Rice Products. ]

'Ears of Rice'

NOVICA®

"Most villagers where I grew up are farmers, or become farmers during the planting and harvesting seasons," artist Juthabusakorn reminisces. "During the rice periods, the fields become lush green.

"When you observe more closely, you can see light and dark greens alternating. It is so beautiful. In the early morning, you can catch beautiful droplets glistening on the ears."

He realistically captures this beauty in a painting he names Taek Ruang, or "Ears of Rice." You save 52% Click here for sale price and more info... [ View More Rice Products. ]

Lacquered bamboo bowl, 'Chestnut Field'

NOVICA®

Spinning decorative accents infuse this footed bowl centerpiece with elegant vibrancy. Hand-crafted from coiled bamboo, this piece is similar to those found in Buddhist temples brimming with wondrous flowers. Daeng Thanunchai creates a stunning contrast for this piece, by marking the interior with cracked eggshells and the exterior with centrifugal motifs. The work is finished with several coatings of lacquer. This centerpiece makes for a striking feature in a sophisticated setting. Not watertight.

To complete this piece, coiled bamboo basketry is firstly carved on a lathe into the desired shape. A mixture of lacquer - obtained from the Gluta usitata tree - and ashes of burnt rice paddy husks is then applied to the object. Upon exposure to air the mixture dries to form a watertight seal that is polished before another coat is applied. This process is repeated until a rigid base is formed, and a final polishing is executed with sandpaper. Then several coats of pure lacquer are painted on the object, with drying periods in between each coat.

The work is partially polished with sandpaper according to a predetermined pattern - generally concentric - and a few coats of different lacquer colors are applied to the surface and the object is left to dry for a few days. The process remains identical for each ensuing color, alternating lacquering and polishing sessions until the design is achieved. The final coat is washed with water and polished with powdered fired clay, offering an irresistible sheen.

You save 40% Click here for sale price and more info... [ View More Rice Products. ]