www.gudong.nl

based in amsterdam, the netherlands, we grab every opportunity to go elsewhere to broaden our horizon. what started as buying souvenirs, developed into collecting foreign antiques, which has recently transformed into our antiques business. on our trips to china we discovered these wooden carved panels on village markets. they come in many shapes, from unpainted simple reliefs in to complex multi-layered miniatures portraying scenes from mythology and history. but there’s more than meets the eye. most animal figures in the panels symbolize a certain quality or talent, though the way they are depicted betray a love for nature by the maker. people, clad in elegant long robes and elaborate headgear strike poses as seen in theatre and chinese opera, an exotic charm that is a treat to the eye. though the chinese are not the first people coming to the mind when thinking of love for animals, the makers of these panels did a great job of transmitting fondness for these creatures in their work.