Tuesday, 26 May 2009

My World Tuesday - A Dying Profession



This man is making paper dolls for prayers in Taoism traditions. These paper dolls are usually burnt after prayers for deities or in funeral services.

This man told me that his own children are not keen to learn the art of this craft from him. He will have no one to pass on his skills. I find his craft requires lotsa detail work. Wonder if he would be keen to teach his art to school children. I think it would be fortunate for children to learn this craft from him. Check out his beautiful pieces of work.










This posting is my participation for My World Tuesday's meme. For more photo of lives around the world, check out the link to the portal!

2 comments:

Pat said...

Definitely, definitely a skill to pass on. These are beautiful. Some would not want to burn such intricate creations, but nothing lasts forever. I now burn beautiful candles I receive instead of keeping them; that's what they're for.

Miranda McAfee said...

The detail in these is amazing... it must take quite a bit of time. Often times, the dying professions are those that create such beauty... machine can only do so much...

"Use your first smile, your first form of generosity, of love, of kindness—use it at home; start at home. And if there is something left over—if … your plate is just full of abundance of patience and goodness and smiles and joy, then by all means, you should go … and offer that to others. But we must begin at home." by Dr Robin Smith