I N D I G O
I might be a bit obsessed! All these images were taken at my favorite booth at The Alameda Point Antiques Faire on Sunday. I fell in love with this pair of Chinese ceramic roof tile parrots who are now happily ensconced on my fireplace mantle! During the late 19th Century to the early 20th Century, it was common for the Chinese to keep ceramic parrot tiles perched on their rooftops to protect the people who lived or worked inside. The more parrot tiles on the roof, the more important the residents were. These parrot tiles also protected government buildings but no building could have more than nine tiles. It was believed that parrots would bring positive energy (chi) to the dwelling. In Chinese history and in the art of feng shui, parrots were thought to be a source of opportunity bringing positive energy and keeping negative energy at bay.