Text based on an article by Maggie Woodard, Photos by Mike Carrell.
The beautiful oriental objects displayed in September, 2009 are part of a large collection belonging to Tom Murakami, Ph.D.
As a young boy, Tom liked collecting objects and making things with his hands. Some of the items displayed are his own work.
First the entire case, then closeups and text for each of the nine sections
Top
Row
Left Column
The top left shelf
contains a group of ribbon fish suspended by using fine fishing line and
a fine tapered weed. (These weeds can be found growing close to the roads
and in the back yard of many of the homes in Bridlington. After drying,
they are like springs returning to their natural straight position.) Tom
made the fish. The two coasters on this shelf are made of natural fiber
and small shells called
money cowries.
Middle
Row
Left Column
The 15' owl is constructed of five different kinds of shells..
The jade dragon and a jade puzzle ball were made in China. The jade ball has six smaller balls, each can rotate freely inside the ball surrounding it.
Bottom
Row
Left Column
The man and the tiger are ceramic.
To the right is a pencil sea urchin which Tom caught and preserved while he was working at the missile range on Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands. He washed and cleaned the sea urchins, hung them up to dry, and then lacquered them.
Top
Row
Center Column
A large cloisonné egg is flanked by two ceramic fish.
Middle
Row
Center Column
Four temari thread balls. Tom made these when he was in Kwajalein, using some Japanese books as guides; two if them are on display. Here's one of several Temari books that can be read on the Internet..
There are also two small Origami boxes and a paper butterfly.
Bottom
Row
Center Column
According to the Wikipedia article, the shell of the giant triton, Charonia tritonis , which lives in the Indo-Pacific faunal zone, can grow to over 20 inches in length. This one is a about 14 inches long. Large complete Triton shells are hard to find as the tips are broken off by local natives to make trumpets.
These ribbon birds were made by Tom, suspended in the same manner as the ribbon fish.
Money cowries
The
ribbon birds are flanked by two more coasters bordered with money cowry
shells. Wikipedia
article about Cypraea moneta, a species of cowry
which was used as a medium of exchange - hence "money cowry."
Middle
Row
Right Column
In the center a glass box contains one-inch high bamboo dancing grasshoppers. At left is another jade puzzle ball, and at right two small figurines called mud men.
Bottom
Row
Right Column
A ceramic figure of a fisherman, another pencil sea urchin and a money cowry coaster.