Kashgar Articles

The Ethiopian Cross

2013-03-15T13:52:33+10:00

One of the oldest symbols adopted by the Church, the cross, retains its purest form in Ethiopia, where it can be found in three principal forms: the processional cross, hand cross and the pendant cross...

Birthstone for February: the Amethyst

2013-02-20T17:15:09+10:00

Amethyst is the purple variety of quartz (SiO₂). The name originates from Greek and means “not intoxicated", a reference to the belief held by the ancient Greeks and Romans that the stone prevented drunkenness...

Polyandry, or the practice of taking multiple husbands

2012-09-14T11:20:37+10:00

The custom of taking multiple wives, or polygyny, is well known. The opposite custom, the taking of two or more husbands or polyandry, is rather less well known, and is becoming a very rare practice indeed in the modern world...

Tibetan polyandry. Picture courtesy of the Tibet Travel Centre

The Evil Eye

2012-07-18T10:28:52+10:00

I remember, as a small child, my mother doing a curious thing. She placed a pot of water on the stove to boil, then threw in a handful of lubia as she called them, black-eyed beans. As the pot boiled furiously, several of the beans jumped out, and each time one did my mother called “emshee! emshee!” (go away ! go away!) in Arabic. She was, as she explained to me later, removing the evil eye from our house...

Lawar: a Balinese Delicacy

2012-05-08T13:53:09+10:00

If you’ve ever been to Bali, you’ve probably sampled a version of the local savory delicacy called lawar. One of the island’s most iconic dishes, lawar literally means “thinly sliced” or “finely chopped”, and consists of chopped meat and vegetables mixed together with fragrant spices and herbs. It is typically served at important Balinese events and ceremonies. However, visitors to Bali can easily find different versions of lawar in most restaurants and warungs...

Anzac Day 2012

2012-04-23T12:12:49+10:00

ANZAC Day – 25 April – is probably Australia's most important national occasion. It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. But what does Anzac Day really mean to you? For me, it is the day that our dead ask us "would you have done the same for us?" and we answer "yes we would"...

Picture by: Braden Fastier, courtesy of News.com.au

Balinese House Compounds: a Microcosom of the Universe

2012-03-21T16:43:53+10:00

A visitor to the smaller towns and villages of Bali would be forgiven for thinking that temples adorn every street corner and all of the spaces in between. High walls with the smallest of doorways allow only the briefest of views by passers-by, while above the walls there are tantalizing glimpses of exquisitely carved shrines, some no larger than birdcages. However, these are all in fact private residences, more properly called compounds or karangs, which may house several generations of Balinese families at one time.

Chinese Year of the Water Dragon Raises Hopes of a Better Year For All

2012-01-24T17:08:32+10:00

While celebrations are taking place all over the world today to herald in the Chinese New Year, this year’s festivities are being conducted with particular enthusiasm as 2012 is the Year of the Water Dragon, considered by many to be the most auspicious sign in the Chinese zodiac.

Picture by Katsushika Hokusai, renouned Japanese artist 1760 – 1849

Suporting the Twenty10 Cause

2011-11-22T14:21:17+10:00

This Christmas, Kashgar is helping to support Twenty10, a wonderful not-for-profit organisation based in Newtown, Sydney, which (amongst many other things) supports GLBTQI youth who are homeless...

Christmas at Kashgar!

2011-11-22T10:13:58+10:00

It's Christmas time once again! Want to know when we're open over the holiday season? Or when our special Christmas shopping night is on? Read this for all our Kashgar news...

River of Dreams, River of Destruction

2011-11-09T15:02:03+10:00

This year’s Loy Krathong festival in Thailand takes on a poignant significance with Bangkok submerged in floods...

Story by By Andrew Forbes and Colin Hinshelwood. Photo: Celebrating Loy Krathong in Lumpini Park, Bangkok, Thailand. Photo by Robertpollai

Today I Went Down Some Spooky Old Stairs: a Photo Essay

2011-10-28T17:23:33+10:00

And in the spirit of spooky month, Kashgar presents a guest article by photo journalist Ruykyu Mike , who lives in Japan and specialises in photos of wildlife, festivals and travel sites. Sharing tips for travelers with a twist of humour is part of the life Mike loves on the Island of Okinawa.

Hungry Ghosts: their History and Origin

2011-10-27T12:39:19+10:00

In the tradition of Halloween in the month of October, Kashgar brings you another legend to chill your bones, about the hungry ghosts of Eastern lore. More properly called preta or peta, these are the ghostly remnants of the dead who are afflicted with insatiable desire, hunger or thirst as a result of bad deeds or evil intent carried out in their life times...

A Compendium of Demons

2011-10-24T13:53:23+10:00

No anthology of the gods and goddesses of humanity would be complete without a compendium of the major demons and fallen angels of the modern Christian Era. And just in time for Halloween too!

Halloween - its History and Origins

2011-10-20T14:28:03+10:00

Happy Halloween everybody, or should we say Happy All Hallows Eve! Although it’s an event not much celebrated in Australia because of its commercial overtones and association with the perceived crassness of all things American, the celebration of Hallowmas and All Hallows Eve is actually a Celtic tradition that dates back to at least the 1^st century and represents thousands of years of collective human folklore that honours the dead and strikes a primordial chord in us all.

Book Review: Sylvia, Queen of the Headhunters by Philip Eade

2011-09-14T11:20:24+10:00

Sylvia Brooke was the consort of His Highness Sir Vyner Brooke, last Rajah of Sarawak, a short-lived dynasty of Englishmen who ruled over part of the island of Borneo between and 1841 and 1946. An eccentric, self obsessed and thougless woman, she is credited with having played a significant role in the dowfall of the the Sarawak Raj. This fascinating, almost unbelievable story comes to grips with her life and outrageous times, as documented by first time biographer Philip Eade.

RSVP Sydney Event Showcase Exhibition

2011-08-12T14:22:20+10:00

We have just finished exhibiting at RSVP Event Showcase, considered to be Australia's premier event industry exhibition. The 2-day, annually hosted show provided us with a fantastic opportunity to show off our special range of exotica collected from around the world...

What in the World About Mao: Transformation of Mao Zedong from Tyrant to Pop Icon is Nearly Complete

2011-07-01T09:47:35+10:00

For better or for worse, Mao Zedong is regarded as an iconoclastic figure in modern world history and was named one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century by Time Magazine. Catalyst for the Cultural Revolution and leader of China’s Communist Party between 1943 and 1976, he was also responsible for the death of over 40 million Chinese. Today, Mao is undergoing an unprecedented rise in popularity throughout the world. His image, like that of Che Guevara, has transcended itself and his radical policies of peasant reform to become a part of western pop culture and a market leader in the antiques and collectibles market. (Photo Credit: Bettmann/CORBIS)

White Verve and Kashgar Video of the Photo Shoot

2011-06-25T16:35:42+10:00

First ever video by Kashgar, documenting our shoot with Sydney fashion label White Verve last year as part of their amazing The Wanderer 2010 spring/summer clothing collection.

Featured On Sale - Afghani Leather Shoes

2011-06-08T13:32:48+10:00

These fabulous Ali Baba shoes have been a mainstay of Kashgar for many years, but its time to clear them out and make way for the new! Many different colours available! On sale now at cost!