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303 Pears 'You Dirty Boy'. 1889
'Recommended by Mrs Langtry for improving and preserving the Complexion'
Day in Rising
By Peter S. Quinn
Day in rising
Full of its colors view
All shades surprising
From the deep and blue
In new summer air
Love songs of fresh
Covering coldness bare
With its deep intermesh
Touches of the sun
In the flowers patch
With its fair complexion
On to wistful catch
Form a rising horizon
Every day renew
Pure in its clarification
All the bright of view
Day in new spring
With its shine and sense
As sunrise will sing
In its color sequence
Now new summer’s in
Flame time of vivid
With its growth and spin
All life is abounded
OK three unedited images from the photoshoot last Sunday. Yes I know I have the complexion of an old warthog and look somewhat like one :-)
So the remit of the shoot was to photograph us in different hairstyles to what we normally have This is my casual look, nice and short and slightly untamed. I rather liked the short hair especially as it was a tad windy for the outside shots. I can tell you now I didn't even know I was wearing this wig it was soooooo light and easy to wear. it can even be styled without fear of it melting.
I will give more details of the wigs as I get them and of the lady who sells them. Not cheap as in a couple of hundred but if you want a wig that doesn't look one then that's the cost we have to pay, well worth it in my experience.
Hope I look better in the edited photos lol
I don't take Zingarina out & about much ... her translucent complexion seems just too fragile and it took so long to get this 'grail' girl.
But I have been cleaning up my photos of past oversea holidays and I'm up to Naples in 2016. If I took Zingarina to Naples I would definitely take her to see the lovely Majolica Cloisters at the Basilica di Santa Chiara ... the museum there is well worth while too.
So - this is a bit of fantasy thanks to digital trickery.
I was actually thinking of a great name for her and I think Bianca fits her because of her hair and porcelain complexion. I love her blond hair, it's soft and straight and it goes very well with her skin tone. Love that yellow jacket, fits her perfectly! The jeans IMO, fits better than the jeans of my Barbie Basics. It's skinny and tight (Which I think how jeans are suppose to be!) Those silver, open toe pumps are gorgeous! She's my first muse that has earrings, that's why she's special! :-)
This is one of twelve "highly amusing fun cards" that came in a Novelty Fun Cards envelope (see below).
For a similar card, see I'm Just Your Size and Complexion.
For more "fun cards," see my Novelty Fun Cards album.
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"As you are my style and complexion and as I am going in your direction, let's get acquainted. If you have no objection, I will be your protection, for you certainly are my selection. A chance of a lifetime. Yours with affection, signed ________. Phone no. ________. Address ________."
An early and exceptional full-length portrait of star Anna May Wong, by pioneer photographer Edward S. Curtis, best known for his famous photographs of the American West and the Native American Indian. Curtis moved to Los Angeles around 1921 after a bitter divorce with his wife. and began working as a still photographer on Hollywood films around this time. He also set up a studio in the Biltmore Hotel to work as a portrait photographer, where assumably this photo was made.
FIRST ASIAN AMERICAN STAR!
Written by PHILIP LEIBFRIED
Her complexion was described as "a rose blushing through old ivory;" she was beautiful, tall (5'7"), slender, and Chinese-American. The last fact kept her from attaining the highest echelon among Hollywood's pantheon of stars, but it did not affect her popularity, nor keep her from becoming a household name. She was Anna May Wong, nee Wong Liu Tsong, a name which translates to "Frosted Yellow Willows," and she was born, appropriately enough, on Flower Street in Los Angeles' Chinatown on 3 January 1905, above her father's laundry. Anna May Wong's contribution to show business is a unique one; she was the first Asian female to become a star, achieving that stardom at a time when bias against her race was crushing. With determination and talent allied to her exotic beauty, she remained the only Asian female star throughout her forty-year career, never fully overcoming all prejudices in maintaining that position. Perhaps the rediscovery of her art will elevate her star to the pantheon of great performers and serve as a guiding light to Asian performers who still struggle to find their rightful place. Anna May Wong's life and career is something that is important for all who value greatly the Asian / Asian Pacific American communities' many artists and what we can all contribute!
Excerpt from : That Old Feeling: Anna May Wong
Part II of Richard Corliss' tribute to the pioneer Chinese-American star.
Daughter of the Dragon. Paramount 1931.
Based on a Fu Manchu novel by Sax Rohmer.
Daughter of the Dragon extended the curse sworn by Dr. Fu on the Petrie family to the next generation. Fu Manchu (Warner Oland), long ago injured and exiled in an attempt on Petrie Sr., returns to London and confronts the father: "In the 20 years I have fought to live," he says in his florid maleficence, "the thought of killing you and your son has been my dearest nurse." He kills the father, is mortally wounded himself and, on his deathbed, reveals his identity to his daughter Ling Moy (Wong) and elicits her vow that she will "cancel the debt" to the Fu family honor and murder the son, Ronald (Bramwell Fletcher)... who, dash it all, is madly infatuated with Ling Moy. Ronald has seen "Princess Ling Moy Celebrated Oriental Dancer" perform, and the vision has made him woozy. "I wish I could find a word to describe her," this calf-man effuses. "Exotic that's the word! And she's intriguing, if you know what I mean." In a near-clinch, Ling Moy wonders if a Chinese woman can appeal to a British toff. When he begs her to "chuck everything and stay," she asks him, "If I stayed, would my hair ever become golden curls, and my skin ivory, like Ronald's?" But the lure of the exotic is hard to shake. "Strange," he says, "I prefer yours. I shall never forget your hair and your eyes." They almost kiss ... when an off-camera scream shakes him out of his dream. It is from his girlfriend Joan (Frances Dade), and the societal message is as clear and shrill: white woman alerting white man to treachery of yellow woman. Ling Moy, a nice girl, previously unaware of her lineage, might be expected to struggle, at least briefly, with the shock of her identity and the dreadful deed her father obliges her to perform. But Wong makes an instant transformation, hissing, "The blood is mine. The hatred is mine. The vengeance shall be mine." Just before his death, Fu mourns that he has no son to kill Ronald. But, in a good full-throated reading, Wong vows: "Father, father, I will be your son. I will be your son!" The audience then has the fun of watching her stoke Ronald's ardor while plotting his death. When she is with him, pleading and salesmanship radiate from her bigeyes. But when an ally asks her why she keeps encouraging the lad, she sneers and says, "I am giving him a beautiful illusion. Which I shall crush." As a villainess, she is just getting started. Revealing her mission to Ronald, she tells him she plans to kill Joan "Because you must have a thousand bitter tastes of death before you die." (The ripe dialogue is by Hollywood neophyte Sidney Buchman, whose distinguished list of credits would include Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Here Comes Mr Jordan and The Talk of the Town.) She soon ascends on a geyser of madness as she decides on a new torture: "My vengeance is inspired tonight. You will first have the torture of seeing her beauty eaten slowly away by this hungry acid." An aide holds a hose gadget over Joan's soon-to-be-corroded face, and Ronald cries for Ling Moy to stop. Very well she says. "Ling Moy is merciful." She barks at Ronald: "Kill her!" He must decide if his favorite white girl is to be etched with acid or stabbed to death. Great stuff! Melodrama is the art of knowing how precisely too far to goThe film is a triangle: not so much of Ling Moy, Ronald and Joan as of Ling Moy, Ronald and a Chinese detective, Ah Kee, played by Sessue Hayakawa, the Japanese actor who in the teens was Hollywood's first Asian male star. He's not plausibly Chinese here, and he is in a constant, losing battle with spoken English. But he is a part of movie history, in the only studio film of the Golden Age to star two ethnically Asian actors. And he gives his emotive all to such lines as "It is the triumph of irony that the only woman I have ever deeply loved should be born of the blood that I loathe." And in the inevitable double-death finale neither the villainess nor the noble detective can survive the machinations of Hollywood justice he gently caresses the long hair of the lady he would love to have loved. "Flower Ling Moy," he says, a moment before expiring. "A flower need not love, but only be loved. As Ah Kee loved you."
The Personal Anna May Wong
This 5'7 beauty loved to study and could speak in an English accent, as well as being fluent in German and French with more than a passing knowledge of other tongues including Italian and Yiddish. For exercise she rode horses, played golf, and tennis. She liked to cook and regaled her guests with succulent Chinese dishes at frequent dinner parties. She preferred casual clothes, wearing slacks and sweaters at home, but cultivated an oriental motif in her very smart formal wardrobe. She studied singing with Welsh tenor Parry Jones before she participated in the film Limehouse Blues as George Raft's mistress. Anna loved to dance to contemporary music. Anna was quoted as saying, "I think I got my first chance because they thought I was peculiar. But, now I like to believe that the public are fond of me because they think I'm nice."
The story of Anna May Wong’s life traced the arc of triumph and tragedy that marked so many of her films. Wong's youthful ambition and screen appeal got her farther than anyone else of her race. But her race, or rather Hollywood's and America's fear of giving Chinese and other non-whites the same chance as European Americans, kept her from reaching the Golden Mountaintop. We can be startled and impressed by the success she, alone, attained. And still weask: Who knows what Anna May Wong could have been allowed to achieve if she
had been Anna May White?
Anna May Wong passed away on Feb. 3rd 1961 she was 56 years old.
Filmography:
The Red Lantern. Metro 1919. The First Born. Robertson Cole 1921.
Shame. Fox 1921. Bits of Life. Assoc. First National 1921.
The First Born. Robertson Cole 1921. Thundering Dawn. Universal 1923
The Toll of the Sea. Metro 1922 Drifting. Universal 1923 Fifth Avenue. PRC 1926.
Lillies of the Field. Assoc. First National 1924. The Thief of Bagdad. United Artists 1924
The Fortieth Door. Pathé serial 1924. The Alaskan. Paramount 1924.
Peter Pan. Paramount 1924. Forty Winks. Paramount 1925.
The Silk Bouquet/The Dragon Horse. Hi Mark Prod. 1926 The Desert's Toll. MGM 1926.
A Trip to Chinatown. Fox 1926. The Chinese Parrot. Universal. 1927.
Driven from Home. Chadwick 1927. Mr. Wu. MGM 1927.
Old San Francisco. Warner Bros. 1927. Why Girls Love Sailors. Pathé short 1927.
The Devil Dancer. United Artists 1927. Streets of Shanghai. Tiffany 1927.
Across to Singapore. MGM 1928. Pavement Butterfly (aka City Butterfly).
The City Butterfly. German 1929. Across to Singapore. MGM 1928.
The Crimson City. Warner Bros. 1928. Song. German 1928
Chinatown Charlie. First National 1928. Piccadilly, British International 1929.
Elstree Calling. British International 1930. The Flame of Love. British International 1930.
Hay Tang. German 1930. L'Amour Maitre Des Choses. French 1930.
Daughter of the Dragon. Paramount 1931. Shanghai Express. Paramount 1932.
A Study in Scarlet. World Wide 1933. Tiger Bay. Associated British 1933.
Chu Chin Chow. Gaumont 1934. Java Head. Associated British 1934.
Limehouse Blues. Paramount 1934. Daughter of Shanghai. Paramount 1937.
Hollywood Party. MGM short subject 1937. Dangerous to Know. Paramount 1938.
The Toll of the Sea. Metro 1922. The Thief of Bagdad 1924
Shanghai Express 1932
I put Broadway Magic Jem in a custom Starbright dress, made by Aja_fan21. It was on In Stitches earlier, but I like these darker colors with BMJ's lighter complexion.
SRSA GRG 5/58 Vol 2 no. 2/26
Ella Annie Miller, alias Williams
Conviction - 3/5/1926
Offence - Larceny
Sentence - Acquitted
Charged with the offence of larceny in March 1926, it was alleged that 23 year old Ella Annie Miller of medium complexion and grey eyes, otherwise known as Ella Williams, stole a cabin trunk, a quantity of clothing, and jewellery valued at 40 pound from a Miss Hudson. Miller denied the alleged crime and the case was ultimately heard before the Criminal Court. The prosecution said that the accused Mrs Miller met Miss Hudson in hospital and they became friendly. When Miss Hudson left on a holiday to Kulpara, the accused was said to have removed the effects of Miss Hudson from Hudson's motor car. The full effects of the alleged clothing and jewellery theft consisted of a gold pendant, a silver servitude ring, three costumes, stockings, a jumper, a skirt, four hats, two dresses and two handbags.
The hearing concluded in May 1926, before Justice Poole and after a short retirement the jury returned with a verdict of not guilty.
Information from:
SRSA GRG5/58 Description and photographs of convicted persons - South Australian Police Department
Trove
I like this one. Somerset House is stuck in legal limbo. They can't sell it or rent it. Last year the city reinforced the north wall and installed this wooden construction siding. What an eye-sore!
Now someone has taken on the ambitious project of decorating the whole thing with paint.
I like it.
Here's the whole story behind this unsell-able property here: www.flickr.com/photos/mikeygottawa/sets/72157625047890029/
See Mikey G Ottawa's ten minutes on "Camera Talk" on Rogers Cable 22 HERE www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-s4ZpS_t1Y
The following link will always start with my Most Recent Image. Here's Mikey G Ottawa's Old Skool Flickr Slideshow (No Panning Or Zooming) HERE: www.flickr.com/photos/mikeygottawa/show/
These are Mikey G Ottawa's Flickr Photosets here:
www.flickr.com/photos/mikeygottawa/sets/
This clip shows my three minutes of CTV exposure here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3C2U_01ajdw&feature=youtu.be
Here's Mikey G Ottawa's Top 200 Flickr Images:
Snow White and her Prince have now been fully deboxed. They are posed standing, supported by the built-in doll stands in the base of the display case.
This regular version of the Snow White and the Prince Disney Fairytale Designer Collection Doll Set has the same two base dolls as the D23 special edition dolls that I reviewed earlier. That is the dolls themselves are identical in every way (except for the serial numbers on the back of the Prince dolls). They also have outfits of almost identical designs, but made of different materials and with differing colors. So the dolls have different looks, especially the Snow Whites.
Snow White has the body of a 2012 Disney Store Classic Princess doll. That is, she has hard plastic legs, with hinged knee joints and ball jointed ankles. She is missing the usual manufacturer's marks printed on Disney limited edition dolls, including the part number and her edition size and serial number. She is also missing the twist waist joint of the previous Designer Princess and Designer Villain dolls. She has a pale complexion, the same as the 2012 Snow White, with whom she shares the same body. However, her neck joint has more freedom of movement, especially downward, and her painted on panties are deep golden yellow, much darker than the 2012 Snow White.
Her face mold appears to be the same as the 2012 and 2013 Classic Snow White, but with a considerably different face paint than either of them. She has large dark brown eyes that are glancing to her left, with four short thick lashes over each eye and four very short and thin lashes under each eye. Over her eyes is gold eyeshadow, and thin black eyebrows gently following the curve of her eyes. She also had short rooted eyelashes that are just barely curving upwards, and are even in length. She has a small button nose, a small mouth with blood red lips forming a charming open mouth smile. She has light pink rouge over most of her cheeks, and a round face with small chin. She is a very beautiful and faithful representation of the sweet and charming movie character.
Her hair is a considerable departure from the traditional short flip hairdo. Her jet black hair is parted to the left of her head, and pulled tightly over her head into a medium length braided ponytail that tapers down to a point and is secured by black rubberband, and is sewn to her collar on her right side. There is a small amount of hair product applied just above her forehead, to a thin strip of her hair. In my doll, that strip keeps on separating from the rest of her hair. I haven't been able to integrate it with the rest of her hair; perhaps I will have to apply more hair product to keep it place. There is a thin bright red satin ribbon around the top of her head that ends in a small bow at left side of her head.
Her outfit is a take on her traditional Princess gown. Her bodice and skirt are separate pieces. The bodice is dark blue velvet with gold piping and elaborate gold embroidery, and decorated with a bow made of metallic gold thread. The floral design is similar to the D23 doll, but differs in its details. She has puffy sleeves of the same dark blue velvet, with separate ribbons of bright red satin that float over the velvet. The sleeves have black lace cuffs decorated with gold hearts, and the oversized collar is pure white lace folded in a fan-like manner behind her neck and head. Her skirt is dark golden taffeta with gold embroidering incorporating fleur-de-lis, flowers and hearts. The embroidery in the skirt is identical to that of the D23 doll. The taffeta gives the skirt has a wrinkled, antique appearance. It has a thin pale tan satin lining. There are golden rhinestones scattered throughout the bodice and skirt of her dress. Under her dress is a floor length white satin slip with the lacey pattern at the hem showing below her skirt. It is sewn to her skirt at two spots at the hem, which I chose to leave alone for now. It is also sewn to the waist band of the skirt, so it is a permanent part of the skirt. She is wearing golden tan flat shoes (or slippers), the same as the D23 doll. It is a beautifully designed and beautifully made outfit that is a darker and more ornated version of the Princess outfit of the movie character.
The Prince appears to have the standard Disney Store Prince body, with articulation at the neck, shoulders, hinge jointed elbows, ball jointed hips, and internal knee joints with limited movement. His hands and feet are large, but his head is disproportionately small compared to Snow White. His face has a neutral expression, with small, narrow deep blue eyes, wide mouth and a straight nose. His molded dark brown hair looks okay. His face doesn't look that movie accurate to me; I actually prefer the playline Classic Prince. As with all Disney Prince dolls, he is sturdily built, and can free stand fairly stably. But for safe keeping, it is best to put him up in the included doll stand, which has a wide C-clamp that goes around his waist very snuggly.
The Prince's outfit is very well made and fitted to his body. It consists of a dark blue faux leather vest, a bright red velvet and satin cape with gold piping permanently attached at the shoulders of the vest, a dark blue faux leather belt with a gold metal buckle and a short black faux leather scabbard attached, white satin shirt, black pants and black boots with a worn look and creases. In the scabbard is a steel gray sword with a brown handle. The sword is thin and very flexible. It was slightly bent out of the box, but was easily bent back into shape. The D23 Prince's vest is much thicker, and feels much more like real leather than this Prince doll. But this Prince has an outfit that is much closer in color to the movie character. He looks great in his outfit, and very dashing, but I wish his expression had more emotion, and was more cheerful.
Snow White and the Prince - Limited Edition Doll Set
Disney Fairytale Designer Collection
US Disney Store
Released and purchased in store on August 20, 2013.
Released online August 21, 2013.
$129.95 US
#558 of 6000
First Look
I will photograph the set boxed, during the deboxing, and fully deboxed. I will also pose the dolls next to comparable dolls, for instance the Gold D23 Snow White doll set.
Product information from the US Disney Store website:
Snow White and the Prince Doll Set - Disney Fairytale Designer Collection
$129.95
Item No. 6070040900883P
Fairest two of all
With lips red as the rose and skin as white as snow, the Princess has never looked fairer. Paired with her handsome Prince, this stunning set of Disney Fairytale Designer Collection dolls will be cherished happily ever after.
Magic in the details...
Please Note: Each Guest will be limited to ordering a maximum of one of this item per order.
As part of the Disney Fairytale Designer Collection this pair of Snow White and Prince dolls were carefully crafted by artists inspired by Walt Disney's 1937 classic, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The original Disney Princess and her Prince have been reimagined in exquisite detail with these limited edition dolls. Brought to life with thoughtful attention, they uniquely capture the essence of the fairytale couple, creating a one of a kind set that will be a treasured keepsake of collectors, Disney fans and every princess at heart.
•Global Limited Editon of 6000
•Includes Certificate of Authenticity
•Romantic side-swept hair
•Dramatic lace collar
•Elaborately embroidered velvet bodice with puff sleeves with red satin detailing
•Layered gown ornately decorated with golden gemstones, taffeta, lace, and embroidered foliage
•Dramatic make-up and rooted eyelashes
•Red bow headband
•Prince features velvet cape
•Satin shirt with faux leather waistcoat and belt
•Boots and sword
•Dolls sold in a special keepsake display case with intricate details on the base, including a golden plate with the name of Snow White and the Prince
•Includes special Disney Fairytale Designer Collection Gift Bag
•Part of the Disney Fairytale Designer Collection
* Intended for adult collectors -- Not a child's toy.
The bare necessities
•Plastic / polyester
•Snow White: 11 1/2''
•Prince: 12'' H
•Imported
Vishnu (/ˈvɪʃnuː/; Sanskrit: Viṣṇu) is a popular Hindu deity, the Supreme God of Vaishnavism (one of the three principal denominations of Hinduism) and one of the three supreme deities (Trimurti) of Hinduism. He is also known as Lord Narayana and Lord Hari. As one of the five primary forms of God in the Smarta tradition, He is conceived as "the Preserver or the Protector" within the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the divinity.
In Hindu sacred texts, Vishnu is usually described as having dark complexion of water-filled clouds and as having four arms. He is depicted as a blue being, holding a padma (lotus flower) in the lower left hand, the Kaumodaki gada (mace) in the lower right hand, the Panchajanya shankha (conch) in the upper left hand and the discus weapon Sudarshana Chakra in the upper right hand.
Adherents of Hinduism believe Vishnu's eternal and supreme abode beyond the material universe is called Vaikuntha, which is also known as Paramdhama, the realm of eternal bliss and happiness and the final or highest place for liberated souls who have attained Moksha. Vaikuntha is situated beyond the material universe and hence, cannot be perceived or measured by material science or logic. Vishnu's other abode within the material universe is Ksheera Sagara (the ocean of milk), where he reclines and rests on Ananta Shesha, (the king of the serpent deities, commonly shown with a thousand heads). In almost all Hindu denominations, Vishnu is either worshipped directly or in the form of his ten avatars, the most famous of whom are Rama and Krishna.
The Puranabharati, an ancient text, describes these as the dashavatara, or the ten avatars of Vishnu. Among the ten described, nine have occurred in the past and one will take place in the future as Lord Kalki, at the end of Kali Yuga, (the fourth and final stage in the cycle of yugas that the world goes through). These incarnations take place in all Yugas in cosmic scales; the avatars and their stories show that gods are indeed unimaginable, unthinkable and inconceivable. The Bhagavad Gita mentions their purpose as being to rejuvenate Dharma, to vanquish those negative forces of evil that threaten dharma, and also to display His divine nature in front of all souls.
The Trimurti (three forms) is a concept in Hinduism "in which the cosmic functions of creation, maintenance, and destruction are personified by the forms of Brahma the creator, Vishnu the maintainer, preserver or protector and Shiva the destroyer or transformer." These three deities have also been called "the Hindu triad" or the "Great Trinity", all having the same meaning of three in One. They are the different forms or manifestation of One person the Supreme Being or Narayana/Svayam Bhagavan.
Vishnu is also venerated as Mukunda, which means God who is the giver of mukti or moksha (liberation from the cycle of rebirths) to his devotees or the worthy ones who deserve salvation from the material world.
ETYMOLOGY
The traditional explanation of the name Vishnu involves the root viś, meaning "to settle" (cognate with Latin vicus, English -wich "village," Slavic: vas -ves), or also (in the Rigveda) "to enter into, to pervade," glossing the name as "the All-Pervading One". Yaska, an early commentator on the Vedas, in his Nirukta, (etymological interpretation), defines Vishnu as viṣṇur viṣvater vā vyaśnoter vā, "one who enters everywhere". He also writes, atha yad viṣito bhavati tad viṣnurbhavati, "that which is free from fetters and bondages is Vishnu".
Adi Shankara in his commentary on the Sahasranama states derivation from viś, with a meaning "presence everywhere" ("As he pervades everything, vevesti, he is called Vishnu"). Adi Shankara states (regarding Vishnu Purana, 3.1.45): "The Power of the Supreme Being has entered within the universe. The root viś means 'enter into'." Swami Chinmayananda, in his translation of Vishnu Sahasranama further elaborates on that verse: "The root vis means to enter. The entire world of things and beings is pervaded by Him and the Upanishad emphatically insists in its mantra 'whatever that is there is the world of change.' Hence, it means that He is not limited by space, time or substance. Chinmayananda states that, that which pervades everything is Vishnu."
SACRET TEXTS - SHRUTI & SMRITI
Shruti is considered to be solely of divine origin. It is preserved as a whole, instead of verse by verse. It includes the four Vedas (Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda and Atharvaveda) the Brahmanas, the Aranyakas and the Upanishads with commentaries on them.
Smṛti refers to all the knowledge derived and inculcated after Shruti had been received. Smrti is not 'divine' in origin, but was 'remembered' by later Rishis (sages by insight, who were the scribes) by transcendental means and passed down through their followers. It includes the Bhagavata Purana and the Vishnu Purana which are Sattva Puranas. These both declare Vishnu as Para Brahman Supreme Lord who creates unlimited universes and enters each one of them as Lord of Universe.
SHRUTI
VAISHNAVA CANON
The Vaishnava canon presents Vishnu as the supreme being, rather than another name for the Sun God, who also bore the name Suryanarayana and is considered only as a form of Vishnu.
Vedas
In the Yajur Veda, Taittiriya Aranyaka (10-13-1), Narayana suktam, Lord Narayana is mentioned as the supreme being. The first verse of Narayana Suktam mentions the words "paramam padam", which literally mean "highest post" and may be understood as the "supreme abode for all souls". This is also known as Param Dhama, Paramapadam, or Vaikuntha. Rig Veda 1:22:20a also mentions the same "paramam padam". This special status is not given to any deity in the Vedas apart from Lord Vishnu/Narayana.[citation needed] Narayana is one of the thousand names of Vishnu as mentioned in the Vishnu Sahasranama. It describes Vishnu as the All-Pervading essence of all beings, the master of - and beyond - the past, present and future, one who supports, sustains and governs the Universe and originates and develops all elements within. This illustrates the omnipresent characteristic of Vishnu. Vishnu governs the aspect of preservation and sustenance of the universe, so he is called "Preserver of the universe".
Vishnu is the Supreme God who takes manifest forms or avatars across various ages or periods to save humanity from evil beings, demons or Asuras. According to the extant Hindu texts and traditions, Lord Vishnu is considered to be resident in the direction of the "Makara Rashi" (the "Shravana Nakshatra"), which is about coincident with the Capricorn constellation. In some of the extant Puranas, and Vaishnava traditions, Vishnu's eye is considered to be situated at the infinitely distant Southern Celestial Pole.
Following the defeat of Indra and his displacement as the Lord of Heaven or Swarga, Indra asks Lord Vishnu for help and thus Lord Vishnu takes his incarnations or avatars to Earth to save mankind, thus showing his position as Supreme God to all of creation.
In the Puranas, Indra frequently appears proud and haughty. These bad qualities are temporarily removed when Brahma and/or Shiva give boons to Asuras or Rakshasas such as Hiranyaksha, Hiranyakashipu and Ravana, who are then able to defeat Indra in wars between Devas and Asuras. The received boons often made Asuras virtually indestructible.
Indra has no option but to seek help from Vishnu. Indra prays before Vishnu for protection and the Supreme Lord obliges him by taking avatars and generating himself on Earth in various forms, first as a water-dweller (Matsya, fish), then as an amphibious creature (Kurma avatar or Tortoise), then as a half-man-half-animal (Varaha the pig-faced, human-bodied Lord, and Narasimha the Lord with lion's face and claws and a human body). Later, Vishnu appears as human beings (Vamana the short-heighted person), Parashurama, Rama, Krishna, Buddha and finally as Kalki for performing his task of protecting his devotees from demons and anti-religious entities.
Vishnu's supremacy is attested by his victories over those very powerful entities. It is further attested by the accepted iconography and sculptures of Vishnu in reclining position as producing Brahma emerging from his navel. Brahma the creator is thus created in turn by Vishnu out of his own person. Instead Vishnu takes various avatars to slay or defeat those demons. But it is to be noted that Vishnu also provided boons to Akupresura, a bear faced demon who was destroyed by Lord Shiva.
Vishnu's actions lowered Indra's ranking among Hindu deities and led to the ascendancy of Vishnu.
Few temples are dedicated to the Sun or Suryanarayana, nor indeed Indra, nor does Indra figure largely in the Hindu religion.
Indra is almost completely absent from the deities considered as the chief or most important deity.
RIGVEDA
In the Rigveda, Vishnu is mentioned 93 times. He is frequently invoked alongside other deities, especially Indra, whom he helps in killing Vritra and with whom he drinks Soma. His distinguishing characteristic in the Vedas is his association with light. Two Rigvedic hymns in Mandala 7 are dedicated to Vishnu. In 7.99, Vishnu is addressed as the god who separates heaven and earth, a characteristic he shares with Indra.
The Rig Veda describes Vishnu as younger brother to Indra as Vamana. In Vaishnava canon the 'Vishnu' who is younger brother to Indra is identified as Vamana, Avatar of Vishnu, hence referred to as Vishnu by Vaishnavites. Vishnu is the Supreme God who lives in the highest celestial region, contrasted against those who live in the atmospheric or terrestrial regions. Vishnu is content with mere prayer, unlike almost all of the other gods who receive sacrificial offerings such as Havis, which is given using clarified butter, or Soma. Later foreign translators have view[citation needed] that Vedas place Indra in a superior position to Vishnu's Avatar of Vamana but in fact Vamana helps Indra by restoring his Kingdom.
An alternate translation is provided by Wilson[23] according to Sayana:
When Thy (younger brother) Viṣṇu (Vamana) by (his) strength stepped his three paces, then verily thy beloved horses bore thee. (Rigveda 8:12:27)
Wilson mentions Griffith's possible translation as a footnote. However the following verse from Rigveda renders the above translation by Wilson more probable.
Him whose three places that are filled with sweetness, imperishable, joy as it may list them, Who verily alone upholds the threefold, the earth, the heaven, and all living creatures. (Rig veda 1:154:4)
Wilson offers an alternate translation for Rigveda 10:113:2:
Viṣṇu offering the portion of Soma, glorifies by his own vigor that greatness of his. Indra, the lord of heaven, with the associated gods having slain Vritra, became deserving of honour. (Rigveda 10:113:2)
This verse sees Vishnu as one who is glorified by his own strength, while Indra became deserving of honor after having slain Vritra only in association with other gods.
However Vishnu's praise for other gods does not imply worship. Wilson translates:
Viṣṇu, the mighty giver of dwellings praises thee, and Mitra and Varuna; the company of Maruts imitates thee in exhilaration. (Rigveda 8:15:9) (page 280)
The following verses show categorically Vishnu as distinguished from other gods in Rigveda.
He who presents (offering) to Viṣṇu, the ancient, the creator, the recent, the self-born; he who celebrates the great birth of that mighty one; he verily possessed of abundance, attains (the station) that is to be sought (by all). (Rigveda 1:156:2) (page 98)
No being that is or that has been born, divine Viṣṇu, has attained the utmost limit of thy magnitude, by which thou hast upheld the vast and beautiful heaven, and sustained the eastern horizon of Earth.(Rigveda 7:99:2) (page 196)
The divine Viṣṇu, the best of the doers of good deeds, who came to the pious instituter of rite (Indra), to assist (at its celebration), knowing (the desires of the worshiper), and present at the three connected period (of worship), shows favor to the Arya, and admits the author of the ceremony to a share of the sacrifice. (Rigveda 1:156:5) (page 99)
Jan Gonda, the late Indologist, states that Vishnu, although remaining in the background of Indra's exploits, contributes by his presence, or is key to Indra's success. Vishnu is more than a mere companion, equal in rank or power to Indra, or sometime the one who made Indra's success possible.
Descriptions of Vishnu as younger to Indra are found in only the hymns to Indra, but in a kathenotheism religion like that of the Rigveda, each god, for a time, is supreme in the mind of the devotee.
In the Rig Vedic texts, the deity or god referred to as Vishnu is the Sun God, who also bears the name 'Suryanarayana'. By contrast, the 'Vishnu' referred to in 'Vishnu Purana', 'Vishnu Sahasranamam' and 'Purusha Sooktham' is Lord Narayana, the Consort of Lakshmi. Vaishnavites make a further distinction by extolling the qualities of Vishnu by highlighting his differences from other deities such as Shiva,[citation needed] Brahma or Surya.
THREE STEPS
Hymn 7.100 refers to the celebrated 'three steps' of Vishnu (as Trivikrama) by which he strode over the universe and in three places planted his step. The 'Vishnu Suktam' (RV 1.154) says that the first and second of Vishnu's strides (those encompassing the earth and air) are visible to men and the third is in the heights of heaven (sky). This last place is described as Vishnu's supreme abode in RV 1.22.20:
The princes evermore behold / that loftiest place where Vishnu is / Laid as it were an eye in heaven.(trans. Griffith)
Griffith's "princes" are the sūri, either "inciters" or lords of a sacrifice, or priests charged with pressing the Soma. The verse is quoted as expressing Vishnu's supremacy by Vaishnavites.
Though such solar aspects have been associated with Vishnu by tradition as well as modern-scholarship, he was not just the representation of the sun, as he moves both vertically and horizontally.
In hymns 1.22.17, 1.154.3, 1.154.4 he strides across the earth with three steps, in 6.49.13, 7.100.3 strides across the earth three times and in 1.154.1, 1.155.5,7.29.7 he strides vertically, with the final step in the heavens. The same Veda also says he strode wide and created space in the cosmos for Indra to fight Vritra. By his stride he made dwelling for men possible, the three forming a symbolic representation of the dwelling's all-encompassing nature. This nature and benevolence to men were Vishnu's enduring attributes. As the triple-strider he is known as Trivikrama and as Urukrama, for the strides were wide.
BRAHMANAS
The Brahmanas are commentaries on the Vedas and form part of the Shruti literature. They are concerned with the detail of the proper performance of rituals. In the Rigveda, Shakala Shakha: Aitareya Brahmana Verse 1 declares: agnir vai devānām ava mo viṣṇuḥ paramus, tadantareṇa sarvā anyā devatā - Agni is the lowest or youngest god and Vishnu is the greatest and the highest God.
The Brahmanas assert the supremacy of Lord Vishnu, addressing him as "Gajapati", the one whom all sacrifices are meant to please. Lord Vishnu accepts all sacrifices to the demigods and allots the respective fruits to the performer In one incident, a demonic person performs a sacrifice by abducting the Rishis (sages), who meditate by constantly chanting God's name. The sacrifice is meant to destroy Indra. But the rishis, who worship Indra as a demigod, alter one pronunciation of the Veda Mantra, reversing the purpose of the sacrifice. When the fruit of the sacrifice is given and the demon is on the verge of dying, he calls to Vishnu, whom he addresses as Supreme Godhead and "the father of all living entities including himself".
Aitareya Brahmana 1:1:1 mentions Vishnu as the Supreme God. But in the Vaishnava canon, in different ages, with Vishnu in different avatars, his relationship with the asuras or demons, was always adversarial. The asuras always caused harm, while the sages and devas or celestial beings, did penance and called to Vishnu for protection. Vishnu always obliged by taking an avatar to vanquish the asuras. In the Vaishnava canon, Vishnu never gave or granted any boons to the asuras, distinguishing him from the gods Shiva and Brahma, who did. He is the only God called upon to save good beings by defeating or killing the asuras.
Sayana writes that in Aitareya Brahmana 1:1:1 the declaration agnir vai devānām ava mo viṣṇuḥ paramus,tadantareṇa sarvā anyā devatā does not indicate any hierarchy among gods. Even in Rigveda Samhita, avama and parama are not applied to denote rank and dignity, but only to mark place and locality.
In Rigveda 1:108:9,: yadindrāghnī avamasyāṃ pṛthivyāṃ madhyamasyāṃ paramasyāmuta sthaḥ | i.e., in the lowest place, the middle (place), and the highest (place). Agni, the fire, has, among the gods, the lowest place; for he resides with man on the earth; while the other gods are either in the air, or in the sky. Vishnu occupies the highest place. The words avama and parama are understood as 'First' and 'Last' respectively. To support this claim, Sayana adduces the mantra (1,4. As'val. Sr. S. 4, 2), agnir mukham prathamo devathanam samathanam uttamo vishnur asit, i.e., Agni was the first of the deities assembled, (and) Vishnu the last.
In the Kausitaki Brahmana (7.1) Agni is called Aaradhya (instead of avama), and Visnu parardha(instead of parama),i.e., belonging to the lower and higher halves (or forming the lower and higher halves).[27] The Vishnu Purana gives tremendous importance to the worship of Vishnu and mentions that sacrifices are to begin only with both the lighting of fire or 'Agni', pouring of sacrificial offerings to Vishnu in 'Agni' so that those offerings reach and are accepted by Vishnu. Worship of Vishnu through Yajnas (or Homams) and other rituals, will not achieve the desired result if Agni's role is neglected.
Muller says "Although the gods are sometimes distinctly invoked as the great and the small, the young and the old (Rig veda 1:27:13), this is only an attempt to find the most comprehensive expression for the divine powers, and nowhere is any of the gods represented as the subordinate to others. It would be easy to find, in the numerous hymns of the Veda, passages in which almost every single god is represented as supreme and absolute."
However this notion is not completely correct as per the following verses, which shows Rigveda describe one or more gods as subject to other god(s).
Him whose high law not Varuna nor Indra, not Mitra, Aryaman, nor Rudra breaketh, Nor evil-hearted fiends, here for my welfare him I invoke, God Savitar, with worship. (Rigveda 2.038.09)
I invite to this place, with reverential salutations, for my good, that divine Savita, whose functions neither Indra, nor Varun.a, nor Mitra nor Aryaman nor Rudra nor the enemies (of the gods), impede. (Rigveda 2.038.09)
SMRITI
VISHNU SMRITI
The Vishnu Smṛti, is one of the later books of the Dharmashastra tradition of Hinduism and the only one that focuses on the bhakti tradition and the required daily puja to Vishnu, rather than the means of knowing dharma. It is also known for its handling of the controversial subject of the practice of sati (self-immolation of a widow on her husband's funeral pyre). The text was composed by an individual or group. The author(s) created a collection of the commonly known legal maxims that were attributed to Vishnu into one book, as Indian oral culture began to be recorded more formally.
BHAGAVATA PURANA
Vishnu is the only Bhagavan as declared in the Bhagavata 1:2:11 in the verse: vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam yaj jnanam advayam brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate, translated as "Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this non-dual substance as Brahman, Paramātma and Bhagavan."
VISHNU PURANA
In the Vishnu Purana (6:5:79) the personality named Parashara Rishi defines six bhagas:
aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ
jñāna-vairāgyayoś caiva ṣannāḥ bhaga itīṇganā
Jiva Gosvami explains the verse in Gopala Champu (Pūrva 15:73) and Bhagavata Sandarbha 46:10:
jñāna-śakti-balaiśvarya-vīrya-tejām.sy aśeṣataḥ
bhagavac-chabda-vācyāni vinā heyair guṇādibhiḥ
"The substantives of the word bhagavat (bhagavat-śabda-vācyāni) are unlimited (aśeṣataḥ) knowledge (jñāna), energies (śakti), strength (bala), opulence (aiśvarya), heroism (vīrya), splendor (tejas), without (vinā) objectionable (heyair) qualities (guṇādibhiḥ)."
SANGAM LITERATURE
Tamil Sangam literature (300BCE to 500CE) mentions mAyOn, or the dark one, as the supreme deity who creates, sustains and destroys the universe. Paripadal 3 describes the glory of Thirumal in the most superlative terms.
Paripadal by kaduvan iLaveyinanAr:
"thIyinuL theRal nI poovinuL naaRRa nI kallinuL maNiyu nI sollinuL vaaymai aRaththinuL anbu nI maRaththinuL mainthu nI vEthaththu maRai nI boothaththu madhalu nI vencudar oLiyu nI thingaLuL aLiyu nI anaiththu nI anaiththinut poruLu nI"
The last line states that Lord Vishnu is the supreme deity who is the inner controller (Antaryamin) of the entire universe. This is one of the Lord's glories, which is first mentioned in Vedas and later propounded by Alwars in Prabhandams and Sri Vaishnavaite Acharyas in various commentaries
The Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple and Vishnu, Lakshmi is mentioned in Tamil works of literature of the Sangam era, including the epic Silapadikaram (book 11, lines 35–40):
āyiram viritteḻu talaiyuṭai aruntiṟaṟ
pāyaṟ paḷḷip palartoḻu tētta viritiraik kāviri viyaṉperu turuttit tiruvamar mārpaṉ kiṭanta vaṇṇamum
On a magnificent cot having a thousand heads spread out, worshipped and praised by many, in an islet surrounded by Kaveri with bellowing waves, is the lying posture of the one who has Lakshmi sitting in his chest.
THEOLOGICAL ATTRIBUTES
The actual number of Vishnu's auspicious qualities is countless, although his six most-important "divine glories" are:
Jnana (Omniscience); defined as the power to know about all beings simultaneously;
Aishvarya (Sovereignty), derived from the word Ishvara which means unchallenged rule over all;
Shakti (Power or Energy), the capacity to make the impossible possible;
Bala (Strength), the capacity to support everything by will and without any fatigue;
Virya (Vigour), the power to retain immateriality as the Supreme Spirit or Being in spite of being the material cause of mutable creations;
Tejas (Splendor), which expresses self-sufficiency and the capacity to overpower everything by spiritual effulgence.
Other important qualities attributed to Vishnu are Gambhirya (inestimatable grandeur), Audarya (generosity), and Karunya (compassion). Natya Shastra lists Vishnu as the presiding deity of the Sṛngara rasa.
The Rigveda says: Vishnu can travel in three strides. The first stride is the Earth. The second stride is the visible sky. The third stride cannot be seen by men and is the heaven where the gods and the righteous dead live. (This feature of three strides also appears in the story of his avatar Vamana/Trivikrama.) The Sanskrit for "to stride" is the root kram; its reduplicated perfect is chakram (guņa grade) or chakra (zero-grade), and in the Rigveda he is called by epithets such as vi-chakra-māņas = "he who has made 3 strides". The Sanskrit word chakra also means "wheel". That may have suggested the idea of Vishnu carrying a chakra.
FIVE FORMS
In Shree Vaishnavism, another school dating from around the 10th century AD, Vishnu assumes five forms:
In the Para Form, Para is the highest form of Vishnu found only in Sri Vaikunta also called Moksha, along with his consort Lakshmi, (and Bhumi Devi and Nila devi, avatars of Lakshmi) and surrounded by liberated souls like Ananta, Garuda, and a host of Muktas (liberated souls).
In the Vyuha form, Vishnu assumes four forms, which exercise different cosmic functions and controls activities of living beings.
In the Vibhava form, Vishnu assumes various manifestations, called Vibhavas, more popularly known as Avataras from time to time, to protect the virtuous, punish evil-doers and re-establish righteousness.
In the Antaryami; "Dwelling within" or "Suksma Vasudeva" form, Vishnu exists within the souls of all living beings and in every substance.
In the Arcavatara or Image manifestation, Vishnu is visible and therefore easily approachable by devotees since Para, Vyuha, Vibhava and Antaryami forms can only be imagined or meditated upon because they are beyond our reach. Such images can be
Revealed by Vishnu, for example, a self-manifested (Swayambhu) icon (murti), e.g. The Mahavishnu Temple at Tirunelli, The Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple at Srirangam, The Tirumala Venkateshwara Temple, etc.; or
Installed by Devas or celestial beings such as such as Guruvayur Temple installed by Vayu; or
Installed by humans, and consecrated according to Vaishnava Agama shastras or scriptures such as Lord Jagannatha of Jagannath Temple (Puri) at Puri.
RELATIONS WITH DEITIES
SHIVA
The three gods of the Trimurti clan are inseparable and in harmony in view of their common vision and universal good. They are perfectly ideal in all respects.
Both Asuras and Devas played supportive roles in this story by keeping company with Vishnu in his incarnated forms. Hanuman is a vanara who is completely dedicated to Rama. He gives Vishnu company and obeys his command, while playing an important part in Rama's life. He is regarded in Vaishnava canon because it is through blessings that Hanuman is born. Thus, Hanuman, Vishnu's constant companion, with his idol appearing temples of Rama, Krishna and Narasimha, i.e. all of Vishnu's avatars, is considered by Vaishnavas.
Syncretic forces produced stories in which the two deities were shown in cooperative relationships and combined forms. Harihara is the name of a combined deity form of both Vishnu (Hari) and Shiva (Hara). This dual form, which is also called Harirudra, is mentioned in the Mahabharata.
LAKSHMI
Vishnu's consort is Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth (also known as Maya). The Samvit (the primary intelligence/dark matter) of the universe is Vishnu, while the other five attributes emerge from this samvit and hence Maya or dark energy of the universe is Lakshmee is his ahamata, activity, or Vishnu's Power.This power of God, Maya or Shakti, is personified and has multiple names: Shree, Lakshmi, Maya, Vishnumaya or Mahamaya. She is said to manifest as Kriyashakti, (Creative Activity) and Bhutishakti (Creation). This world requires Vishnu's creativity. He therefore needs Lakshmi to always be with Him. Her various avatars as Lord Vishnu's consorts are Varahavatar (Bhoodevi) or Bhoomi, Ramavatar Seeta, Krishnavatar Rukmini)
SARASWATI & GANGA
According to Brahma Vaivarta Purana, Lord Vishnu had three wives Lakshmi, Saraswati and Ganga. Due to their constant quarrelsome nature among them. Once Ganga tried to be close with Vishnu, this rebuked Saraswati but Lakshmi tried to pacify them but faced a curse rather. As per the curse, Lakshmi to appear as Tulasi. Sarawati cursed Ganga to run as a river in the world and Saraswati was cursed to run as a river in the netherworld. After this, Lord Vishnu transformed and became Brahma and Shiva to pacify Saraswati and Ganga.
GARUDA
Vishnu's mount (Vahana) is Garuda, the eagle. Vishnu is commonly depicted as riding on his shoulders.
ICONOGRAPHY
According to various Puranas, Vishnu is the ultimate omnipresent reality and is shapeless and omnipresent. However, a strict iconography governs his representation, whether in pictures, icons, or idols:
He has four arms and is male: The four arms indicate his all-powerful and all-pervasive nature. His physical existence is represented by the two arms in the front, while the two arms at the back represent his presence in the spiritual world. The Upanishad Gopal Uttartapani describes the four arms.
The Shreevatsa mark is on his chest, symbolizing his consort Lakshmi.
He wears the auspicious "Kaustubha" jewel around his neck and a garland of vaijayanti flowers (Vanamala). Lakshmi dwells in this jewel, on Vishnu's chest.
A crown adorns his head: The crown symbolizes his supreme authority. This crown sometimes includes a peacock feather, borrowing from his Krishna-avatar.
He wears two earrings: The earrings represent inherent opposites in creation — knowledge and ignorance; happiness and unhappiness; pleasure and pain.
He rests on Ananta, the immortal and infinite snake.
Vishnu is always to be depicted holding four attributes:
A conch shell or Shankha, named Panchajanya, is held by the upper left hand. It represents Vishnu's power to create and maintain the universe. Panchajanya represents the five elements or Panchabhoota – water, fire, air, earth and sky or space. It also represents the five airs or Pranas that are within the body and mind. The conch symbolizes that Vishnu is the primeval Divine sound of creation and continuity. It also represented as Om. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna avatara states that of sound vibrations, 'He is Om'.
The Chakra, a sharp, spinning, discus-like weapon, named "Sudarshana", is held by the upper right hand. It symbolizes the purified spiritualized mind. The name Sudarshana is derived from two words – Su, which means good, superior, and Darshana, which means vision or sight; together. The Chakra represents destruction of ego in the awakening and realization of the soul's original nature and god, burning away spiritual ignorance and illusion, and developing higher spiritual vision and insight to realize god.
A mace or Gada, named "Kaumodaki",[45] is held by the lower right hand. It symbolizes that Vishnu's divine power is the source of all spiritual, mental and physical strength. It also signifies Vishnu's power to destroy materialistic or demonic tendencies (Anarthas) that prevent people from reaching god. Vishnu's mace is the power of the Divine within us to spiritually purify and uplift us from our materialistic bonds.
A lotus flower or Padma is held by the lower left hand. It represents spiritual liberation, Divine perfection, purity and the unfolding of Spiritual consciousness within the individual. The lotus opening its petals in the light of the Sun is indicative of the expansion and awakening of our long dormant, original spiritual consciousness in the light of god. The lotus symbolizes that god is the power and source from which the universe and the individual soul emerges. It also represents Divine Truth or Satya, the originator of the rules of conduct or Dharma, and Divine Vedic knowledge or Jnana. The lotus also symbolizes that Vishnu is the embodiment of spiritual perfection and purity and that He is the wellspring of these qualities and that the individual soul must seek to awaken these intrinsic Divine qualities from Vishnu by surrendering to and linking with Him.
To this may be added, conventionally, the vanamaala flower garland, Vishnu's bow (Shaarnga/Kodand) and his sword Nandaka. A verse of the Vishnu Sahasranama stotram states;vanamālī gadhī shārngī shanki chakri cha nandaki / shrīmān nārāyaņo vişņo vāsudevo abhirakşatu//; translation: Protect us Oh Lord Narayana who wears the forest garland,who has the mace, conch, sword and the wheel. And who is called Vishnu and the Vasudeva.
In general, Vishnu's body is depicted in one of the following three ways:
Standing on a lotus flower, often with Lakshmi, his consort, beside him on a similar pedestal.
Reclining on the coiled-up thousand-hooded Shesha Naga, with Lakshmi seated at his feet; the assemblage rests on the "Kshira Sagar" (ocean of milk). In this representation, Brahma is depicted as sitting on a lotus that grows out of Vishnu's navel.
Riding on the back of his eagle mount, known as Garuda. Another name for Garuda is "Veda atma"; Soul of the Vedas. The flapping of his wings symbolizes the power of the Divine Truth of Vedic wisdom. Also the eagle represents the soul. Garuda carrying Vishnu symbolizes the soul or jiva atma carrying the Super soul or Param atma within it.
AVATARS
Ten avatars (dashavatara) of Vishnu are the most prominent: Apart from the most prominent incarnations there are believed to more.
The most commonly believed incarnations of Vishnu are:
Matsya, the fish that kills Damanaka to save the vedas and also saves Manu from a great flood that submerges the entire Earth.
Kurma, the turtle that helps the Devas and Asuras churn the ocean for the nectar of immortality.
Varaha, the boar that rescues the Earth and kills Hiranyaksha.
Narasimha, the half-lion half human, who defeats the demon Hiranyakashipu.
Vamana, the dwarf that grows into a giant to save the world from King Bali.
Parashurama, "Rama of the battle axe", a sage who appeared in the Treta Yuga. He killed Kartavirya Arjuna's army and clan and then killed all the kshatriyas 21 times.
Rama, the prince and king of Ayodhya who killed the Demon King Raavan.
Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu, who takes part in the Mahabharata epic. Krishna is worshipped as the Supreme Avatar of Vishnu (Supreme Personality of Godhead) in Gaudiya-Vaishnava philosophy.
Buddha, the ninth avatar of Vishnu.
Kalki, the tenth Avatar of Vishnu and said to be the harbinger of the end Kali Yuga. This avatar of Vishnu is yet to come.
Some versions of the above list include Hayagreeva among the Dashavataras while some include Buddha as ninth avatar of Vishnu. Another 22 avatars are given in Chapter 3, Canto 1 of the Bhagavata Purana, although it states that "the incarnations of the Lord are innumerable, like rivulets flowing from inexhaustible sources of water".
BEYOND HINDUISM
SIKHISM
Guru Granth Sahib of Sikhism mentions Vishnu, one verse goes:
The true Vaishnaav, the devotee of Vishnu, is the one with whom God is thoroughly pleased. He dwells apart from Maya. Performing good deeds, he does not seek rewards. Spotlessly pure is the religion of such a Vaishnaav; he has no desire for the fruits of his labors. He is absorbed in devotional worship and the singing of Kirtan, the songs of the Lords Glory. Within his mind and body, he meditates in remembrance on the Lord of the Universe. He is kind to all creatures. He holds fast to the Naam, and inspires others to chant it. O Nanak, such a Vaishnaav obtains the supreme status.
BUDDHISM
While some Hindus consider Buddha as an incarnation of Vishnu, Buddhists in Sri Lanka venerate Vishnu as the custodian deity of Sri Lanka and protector of Buddhism. Lord Vishnu is also known as upulvan, or uthpala varna, meaning "Blue Lotus coloured". Some postulates that Uthpala varna was a local deity who later merged with Vishnu while another belief is that Uthpala Varna was an early form of Vishnu before he became a supreme deity in Puranic Hinduism. According to Chronicles "Mahawamsa", "Chulawamsa" and folklore in Sri Lanka, Buddha himself handed over the custodianship to Vishnu. Others believe that Buddha entrusted this task to Sakra(Indra) and Sakra delegated this task of custodianship to god Vishnu.[50] In contrary to vedic Hinduism, in assimilation of Hindu god Vishnu into Sinhalese Buddhism, Vishnu becomes a mortal being and a Bodhisattva aspiring Buddhahood. Additionally, Vishnu is considered as the god of home and hearth representing mercy, goodness, order and stability. Many Buddhist and Hindu shrines are dedicated to Vishnu in Sri Lanka. In addition to specific Vishnu "Kovils" or "devalayas", all Buddhist temples necessarily house shrine rooms (Devalayas) closer to the main Buddhist shrine dedicated to Vishnu. John Holt in his groundbreaking study examines the assimilation, transformation, and subordination of the Hindu deity Vishnu within the contexts of Sri Lankan history and Sinhala Buddhist religious culture. He then explores the role and rationale of medieval Sinhala kings in assimilating Visnu into Sinhala Buddhism. According to Holt the veneration of Vishnu in Sri Lanka is evidence of a remarkable ability, over many centuries, to reiterate and reinvent culture as other ethnicities have been absorbed into their own. Though the Vishnu cult in Ceylon was formally endorsed by Kandyan kings in early 1700s, Holt states that vishnu images and shrines are among conspicuous ruins in the medieval capital Polonnaruwa. In Buddhist mythology, when Vishnu failed to traverse the universe in three steps, he was given the title "Ardha Vishnu (Half-Vishnu)" and when Vishnu banished demons from the Vaishali (Vishala)in India, he became "Mulu Vishnu or Whole Vishnu". The extreme significance of god Vishnu in Sinhala society is reflected in recitals of the traditional "Offerings to dwarfs and crossing the door frame (bahirwayanta dola pideem saha uluwahu peneema)" that starts with Sri Vishnu invocation.In the recitals,mentioning of the aspiring Buddhahood of Vishnu which is of prime importance to Buddhists and wishes for him to live five thousand and more years highlight the central role of Vishnu in the psyche of Sri Lankan Buddhists.
OTHERS
James Freeman Clarke, Richard Leviton, James Cowles Prichard,[56] and others have noted the similarities between Vishnu and Ancient Egyptian God Horus.
During an excavation in an abandoned village of Russia in the Volga region, archaeologist Alexander Kozhevin excavated an ancient idol of Vishnu. The idol dates from between the 7th and 10th centuries. In the interview Kozhevin, stated that, "We may consider it incredible, but we have ground to assert that Middle-Volga region was the original land of Ancient Rus. This is a hypothesis, but a hypothesis, which requires thorough research"
THOUSAND NAMES OF VISHNU
Vishnu's many names and followers are collected in the Vishnu Sahasranama, (Vishnu's thousand names) from within the larger work Mahabharata. The character Bheeshma recites the names before Krishna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, praising him (Vishnu) as the supreme god. These Sahasranama are regarded as the essence of all Vedas by followers of Vaishnavism, who believe sincere chanting of Vishnu Sahasranama results in spiritual well-being and a greater awareness of God.
The names are generally derived from the Anantakalyanagunas (meaning: infinite auspicious attributes).
According to the Siddhartha-samhita there are twenty-four forms of Lord Vishnu. The twenty-four forms are
Vasudeva
Sankarshana
Pradyumna
Anirudha
Keshava
Narayana
Madhava
Govinda
Vishnu
Madhusudana
Trivikrama
Vamana
Sridhara
Hrishikesha
Padmanabha
Damodara
Purushottama
Achyuta
Narasimha
Janardana
Hari
Krishna
Adhokshaja
Upulvan, Uthpala Varna - In Sri Lanka, Vishnu is also referred to as Upulvan ( Blue Lotus Coloured)
WIKIPEDIA
Snow White and her Prince have now been fully deboxed. They are posed standing, supported by the built-in doll stands in the base of the display case.
This regular version of the Snow White and the Prince Disney Fairytale Designer Collection Doll Set has the same two base dolls as the D23 special edition dolls that I reviewed earlier. That is the dolls themselves are identical in every way (except for the serial numbers on the back of the Prince dolls). They also have outfits of almost identical designs, but made of different materials and with differing colors. So the dolls have different looks, especially the Snow Whites.
Snow White has the body of a 2012 Disney Store Classic Princess doll. That is, she has hard plastic legs, with hinged knee joints and ball jointed ankles. She is missing the usual manufacturer's marks printed on Disney limited edition dolls, including the part number and her edition size and serial number. She is also missing the twist waist joint of the previous Designer Princess and Designer Villain dolls. She has a pale complexion, the same as the 2012 Snow White, with whom she shares the same body. However, her neck joint has more freedom of movement, especially downward, and her painted on panties are deep golden yellow, much darker than the 2012 Snow White.
Her face mold appears to be the same as the 2012 and 2013 Classic Snow White, but with a considerably different face paint than either of them. She has large dark brown eyes that are glancing to her left, with four short thick lashes over each eye and four very short and thin lashes under each eye. Over her eyes is gold eyeshadow, and thin black eyebrows gently following the curve of her eyes. She also had short rooted eyelashes that are just barely curving upwards, and are even in length. She has a small button nose, a small mouth with blood red lips forming a charming open mouth smile. She has light pink rouge over most of her cheeks, and a round face with small chin. She is a very beautiful and faithful representation of the sweet and charming movie character.
Her hair is a considerable departure from the traditional short flip hairdo. Her jet black hair is parted to the left of her head, and pulled tightly over her head into a medium length braided ponytail that tapers down to a point and is secured by black rubberband, and is sewn to her collar on her right side. There is a small amount of hair product applied just above her forehead, to a thin strip of her hair. In my doll, that strip keeps on separating from the rest of her hair. I haven't been able to integrate it with the rest of her hair; perhaps I will have to apply more hair product to keep it place. There is a thin bright red satin ribbon around the top of her head that ends in a small bow at left side of her head.
Her outfit is a take on her traditional Princess gown. Her bodice and skirt are separate pieces. The bodice is dark blue velvet with gold piping and elaborate gold embroidery, and decorated with a bow made of metallic gold thread. The floral design is similar to the D23 doll, but differs in its details. She has puffy sleeves of the same dark blue velvet, with separate ribbons of bright red satin that float over the velvet. The sleeves have black lace cuffs decorated with gold hearts, and the oversized collar is pure white lace folded in a fan-like manner behind her neck and head. Her skirt is dark golden taffeta with gold embroidering incorporating fleur-de-lis, flowers and hearts. The embroidery in the skirt is identical to that of the D23 doll. The taffeta gives the skirt has a wrinkled, antique appearance. It has a thin pale tan satin lining. There are golden rhinestones scattered throughout the bodice and skirt of her dress. Under her dress is a floor length white satin slip with the lacey pattern at the hem showing below her skirt. It is sewn to her skirt at two spots at the hem, which I chose to leave alone for now. It is also sewn to the waist band of the skirt, so it is a permanent part of the skirt. She is wearing golden tan flat shoes (or slippers), the same as the D23 doll. It is a beautifully designed and beautifully made outfit that is a darker and more ornated version of the Princess outfit of the movie character.
The Prince appears to have the standard Disney Store Prince body, with articulation at the neck, shoulders, hinge jointed elbows, ball jointed hips, and internal knee joints with limited movement. His hands and feet are large, but his head is disproportionately small compared to Snow White. His face has a neutral expression, with small, narrow deep blue eyes, wide mouth and a straight nose. His molded dark brown hair looks okay. His face doesn't look that movie accurate to me; I actually prefer the playline Classic Prince. As with all Disney Prince dolls, he is sturdily built, and can free stand fairly stably. But for safe keeping, it is best to put him up in the included doll stand, which has a wide C-clamp that goes around his waist very snuggly.
The Prince's outfit is very well made and fitted to his body. It consists of a dark blue faux leather vest, a bright red velvet and satin cape with gold piping permanently attached at the shoulders of the vest, a dark blue faux leather belt with a gold metal buckle and a short black faux leather scabbard attached, white satin shirt, black pants and black boots with a worn look and creases. In the scabbard is a steel gray sword with a brown handle. The sword is thin and very flexible. It was slightly bent out of the box, but was easily bent back into shape. The D23 Prince's vest is much thicker, and feels much more like real leather than this Prince doll. But this Prince has an outfit that is much closer in color to the movie character. He looks great in his outfit, and very dashing, but I wish his expression had more emotion, and was more cheerful.
Snow White and the Prince - Limited Edition Doll Set
Disney Fairytale Designer Collection
US Disney Store
Released and purchased in store on August 20, 2013.
Released online August 21, 2013.
$129.95 US
#558 of 6000
First Look
I will photograph the set boxed, during the deboxing, and fully deboxed. I will also pose the dolls next to comparable dolls, for instance the Gold D23 Snow White doll set.
Product information from the US Disney Store website:
Snow White and the Prince Doll Set - Disney Fairytale Designer Collection
$129.95
Item No. 6070040900883P
Fairest two of all
With lips red as the rose and skin as white as snow, the Princess has never looked fairer. Paired with her handsome Prince, this stunning set of Disney Fairytale Designer Collection dolls will be cherished happily ever after.
Magic in the details...
Please Note: Each Guest will be limited to ordering a maximum of one of this item per order.
As part of the Disney Fairytale Designer Collection this pair of Snow White and Prince dolls were carefully crafted by artists inspired by Walt Disney's 1937 classic, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The original Disney Princess and her Prince have been reimagined in exquisite detail with these limited edition dolls. Brought to life with thoughtful attention, they uniquely capture the essence of the fairytale couple, creating a one of a kind set that will be a treasured keepsake of collectors, Disney fans and every princess at heart.
•Global Limited Editon of 6000
•Includes Certificate of Authenticity
•Romantic side-swept hair
•Dramatic lace collar
•Elaborately embroidered velvet bodice with puff sleeves with red satin detailing
•Layered gown ornately decorated with golden gemstones, taffeta, lace, and embroidered foliage
•Dramatic make-up and rooted eyelashes
•Red bow headband
•Prince features velvet cape
•Satin shirt with faux leather waistcoat and belt
•Boots and sword
•Dolls sold in a special keepsake display case with intricate details on the base, including a golden plate with the name of Snow White and the Prince
•Includes special Disney Fairytale Designer Collection Gift Bag
•Part of the Disney Fairytale Designer Collection
* Intended for adult collectors -- Not a child's toy.
The bare necessities
•Plastic / polyester
•Snow White: 11 1/2''
•Prince: 12'' H
•Imported
Me with my new Kenner! My husband is the best! He surprised me with a blonde Kenner with a peachy toned complexion!
Snow White and her Prince have now been fully deboxed. They are posed standing, supported by the built-in doll stands in the base of the display case.
This regular version of the Snow White and the Prince Disney Fairytale Designer Collection Doll Set has the same two base dolls as the D23 special edition dolls that I reviewed earlier. That is the dolls themselves are identical in every way (except for the serial numbers on the back of the Prince dolls). They also have outfits of almost identical designs, but made of different materials and with differing colors. So the dolls have different looks, especially the Snow Whites.
Snow White has the body of a 2012 Disney Store Classic Princess doll. That is, she has hard plastic legs, with hinged knee joints and ball jointed ankles. She is missing the usual manufacturer's marks printed on Disney limited edition dolls, including the part number and her edition size and serial number. She is also missing the twist waist joint of the previous Designer Princess and Designer Villain dolls. She has a pale complexion, the same as the 2012 Snow White, with whom she shares the same body. However, her neck joint has more freedom of movement, especially downward, and her painted on panties are deep golden yellow, much darker than the 2012 Snow White.
Her face mold appears to be the same as the 2012 and 2013 Classic Snow White, but with a considerably different face paint than either of them. She has large dark brown eyes that are glancing to her left, with four short thick lashes over each eye and four very short and thin lashes under each eye. Over her eyes is gold eyeshadow, and thin black eyebrows gently following the curve of her eyes. She also had short rooted eyelashes that are just barely curving upwards, and are even in length. She has a small button nose, a small mouth with blood red lips forming a charming open mouth smile. She has light pink rouge over most of her cheeks, and a round face with small chin. She is a very beautiful and faithful representation of the sweet and charming movie character.
Her hair is a considerable departure from the traditional short flip hairdo. Her jet black hair is parted to the left of her head, and pulled tightly over her head into a medium length braided ponytail that tapers down to a point and is secured by black rubberband, and is sewn to her collar on her right side. There is a small amount of hair product applied just above her forehead, to a thin strip of her hair. In my doll, that strip keeps on separating from the rest of her hair. I haven't been able to integrate it with the rest of her hair; perhaps I will have to apply more hair product to keep it place. There is a thin bright red satin ribbon around the top of her head that ends in a small bow at left side of her head.
Her outfit is a take on her traditional Princess gown. Her bodice and skirt are separate pieces. The bodice is dark blue velvet with gold piping and elaborate gold embroidery, and decorated with a bow made of metallic gold thread. The floral design is similar to the D23 doll, but differs in its details. She has puffy sleeves of the same dark blue velvet, with separate ribbons of bright red satin that float over the velvet. The sleeves have black lace cuffs decorated with gold hearts, and the oversized collar is pure white lace folded in a fan-like manner behind her neck and head. Her skirt is dark golden taffeta with gold embroidering incorporating fleur-de-lis, flowers and hearts. The embroidery in the skirt is identical to that of the D23 doll. The taffeta gives the skirt has a wrinkled, antique appearance. It has a thin pale tan satin lining. There are golden rhinestones scattered throughout the bodice and skirt of her dress. Under her dress is a floor length white satin slip with the lacey pattern at the hem showing below her skirt. It is sewn to her skirt at two spots at the hem, which I chose to leave alone for now. It is also sewn to the waist band of the skirt, so it is a permanent part of the skirt. She is wearing golden tan flat shoes (or slippers), the same as the D23 doll. It is a beautifully designed and beautifully made outfit that is a darker and more ornated version of the Princess outfit of the movie character.
The Prince appears to have the standard Disney Store Prince body, with articulation at the neck, shoulders, hinge jointed elbows, ball jointed hips, and internal knee joints with limited movement. His hands and feet are large, but his head is disproportionately small compared to Snow White. His face has a neutral expression, with small, narrow deep blue eyes, wide mouth and a straight nose. His molded dark brown hair looks okay. His face doesn't look that movie accurate to me; I actually prefer the playline Classic Prince. As with all Disney Prince dolls, he is sturdily built, and can free stand fairly stably. But for safe keeping, it is best to put him up in the included doll stand, which has a wide C-clamp that goes around his waist very snuggly.
The Prince's outfit is very well made and fitted to his body. It consists of a dark blue faux leather vest, a bright red velvet and satin cape with gold piping permanently attached at the shoulders of the vest, a dark blue faux leather belt with a gold metal buckle and a short black faux leather scabbard attached, white satin shirt, black pants and black boots with a worn look and creases. In the scabbard is a steel gray sword with a brown handle. The sword is thin and very flexible. It was slightly bent out of the box, but was easily bent back into shape. The D23 Prince's vest is much thicker, and feels much more like real leather than this Prince doll. But this Prince has an outfit that is much closer in color to the movie character. He looks great in his outfit, and very dashing, but I wish his expression had more emotion, and was more cheerful.
Snow White and the Prince - Limited Edition Doll Set
Disney Fairytale Designer Collection
US Disney Store
Released and purchased in store on August 20, 2013.
Released online August 21, 2013.
$129.95 US
#558 of 6000
First Look
I will photograph the set boxed, during the deboxing, and fully deboxed. I will also pose the dolls next to comparable dolls, for instance the Gold D23 Snow White doll set.
Product information from the US Disney Store website:
Snow White and the Prince Doll Set - Disney Fairytale Designer Collection
$129.95
Item No. 6070040900883P
Fairest two of all
With lips red as the rose and skin as white as snow, the Princess has never looked fairer. Paired with her handsome Prince, this stunning set of Disney Fairytale Designer Collection dolls will be cherished happily ever after.
Magic in the details...
Please Note: Each Guest will be limited to ordering a maximum of one of this item per order.
As part of the Disney Fairytale Designer Collection this pair of Snow White and Prince dolls were carefully crafted by artists inspired by Walt Disney's 1937 classic, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The original Disney Princess and her Prince have been reimagined in exquisite detail with these limited edition dolls. Brought to life with thoughtful attention, they uniquely capture the essence of the fairytale couple, creating a one of a kind set that will be a treasured keepsake of collectors, Disney fans and every princess at heart.
•Global Limited Editon of 6000
•Includes Certificate of Authenticity
•Romantic side-swept hair
•Dramatic lace collar
•Elaborately embroidered velvet bodice with puff sleeves with red satin detailing
•Layered gown ornately decorated with golden gemstones, taffeta, lace, and embroidered foliage
•Dramatic make-up and rooted eyelashes
•Red bow headband
•Prince features velvet cape
•Satin shirt with faux leather waistcoat and belt
•Boots and sword
•Dolls sold in a special keepsake display case with intricate details on the base, including a golden plate with the name of Snow White and the Prince
•Includes special Disney Fairytale Designer Collection Gift Bag
•Part of the Disney Fairytale Designer Collection
* Intended for adult collectors -- Not a child's toy.
The bare necessities
•Plastic / polyester
•Snow White: 11 1/2''
•Prince: 12'' H
•Imported
For this one-day oil study of a light complexion, I used Yellow Ochre with a dab of Terra Rosa to get the hue, moderated by Titanium White to lighten and reduce the chroma. For the darkest shadow, I dropped a touch Terre Verte (soft green) into the mix.
Winsor & Newton Artists' Oil Colour
Centurion OP DLX oil primed linen
27.9 x 35.6 cm (11 x 14 inches)
This young woman appeared in an earlier photo.. However, I wanted to crop a portrait of just her to accentuate her complexion, eyes, hair and beautiful bone structure. I think she is quite stunning with enchanting looks.
The second rendering (Enchantress II) I rendered in Adobe Creamtone. Other than just B&W, I use toning and selective color quite judiciously. However, I find Creamtone a subtle tone that IMO, is simply beautiful for portraits where B&W may be just a tad harsh. With her fair and silky complexion, Creamtone seemed to fit the bill.
Sometimes I can't crop out the disparate elements without ruining the shot . . . like the guy on the left. So I try to find ways to incorporate them into the scene. This particular "solution" came to me out of studying group scenes 15th-18th century Masters. Often you see a sub layer of other people, partially hidden. Some artists put themselves in the work in this way. This man's particular placement was a result of the crop and a horizontal flip of the photo, that gave the added benefit of the subject looking off camera as well as unposed.
Once again, I leave it to the panel of Flickr experts to decide. They have been so helpful in their comments and the displays of their marvelous photo artistry.
Thanks y'all. :))
She has the most infectious smile and perfect complexion! I just had to get this shot. She is the walking embodiment of 'natural beauty'.
In the cattle market when I told him I want to photograph him, he said my cows are just as black as me!
Some of these people think being dark can never be beautiful, which is so wrong since I found him quite photogenic.
Bibir Haat/Chittagong
Chapter three
1919-
“Hey randy!!! Randy randy….”
“What?” said with anger
“They got a----- a…”
“Spit it out junior…”
“They got a new shipment!”
“A new shipment?”
“Yes that's what i said! The best of the best, primo opium, i do promise brother.”
“Holy shit….. Well what are you waiting for show me it….”
I pulled out the brown bag, the bag does not give off the impression that one would think of when thinking of luxury, truthfully the contents within this bag are far more valuable to me than any form of love. My brother he seems--- out of tune. As if he is a broken recorder, not repetitive but for plain and monotone, one that would cause most fright in elderly ears, but to me this was the normal sound of my brothers withdrawals, its been way too long since i have felt the sweet release, the delicate feeling in my bones that make them feel as if they're brittle. The shakiness is unbearable for me and randy. How dare the public judge us for addictions, it's not a addiction for me as much as it is for randy. I hide my shakes from the public through horrid lies and lines that are made of deceit, on the outside my skin had not changed, the drugs were supposed to change my color. Turning me palier than the polar capes of antarctica, but in turn they made my skin full of complexion, nor did the drugs affect my mood. I swear to myself everyday that i am doing better because of it… maybe i am…
“Randy i don't know, your not looking to good…. You look sick have you seen a doctor about your constant fevers?”
“Oh now you're turning into the rest of society aren't you? There's nothing wrong me…..”
“I'm not saying there is… randy it's just maybe we shouldn't take this----”
“Piss off johnny, you don't know the pains, the cravens, the lust for it. Constant fevers and headaches cause my brain to spin and i want this pain to just dwindle away.. How many viles do you have?”
“Two…”
“Two?! Fucking two? That's it---”
“Listen randy we don't have much money---”
“What happened to the money you got from ma?”
“I had to spend it on rent…”
“Oh you gotta be fucking kidding me….” he then slammed his weak hands against a table, no reaction came from the table, no jump and or scratch
“Randy we can both take one----”
“No fuck off i need both…. One for tomorrow and one for right fucking now….”
“Randy come on my i need to kill this pain to…”
“You don't get it, your skin, your appearance,nothing has changed with you brother. Your….. you're still normal, women look at you and they see a complexion that matches one of the Everyman, they see me…”
“Brother….”
“No don't brother me…. you know I'm right, I'm nothing but some opium addict….”
“You're far more than that brother….”
“We can…. can quit…” he began laughing
“Quit? Brother I'm thirty going on thirty one… what's the point of trying at this point? What do I have?”
“Georgia brother you have Georgia…”
He then proceeded to smash down on the table a paper of some sorts, I can't read it from afar, I don't want to bother to pick up.. it appears my brother doesn't seem to know as if what the note read it either. As I further examine it, it doesn't appear to be a note of any sort. In face it seems to be a formal document.. who the fuck would send my brother such a formal note?
“What's this?” I said while giggling
“It's divorce papers….”
“Wait what? Georgia---”
“Yeah she wants to get rid of me….”
“For what reason?”
“Your holding it brother…”
“Well fuck….”
“When did you get them?”
“About oh, a week or so ago I would say? I don't quite remember….”
“She just can't do this? Your reputations it will shatter…. the last person to get such an action done was----”
“Yes brother we all know… even then the husband was a abusive piece of no good trash…”
“You know that's not you right brother? You're nothing like marshal down the street!”
“Oh brother, I am though….. I live for my addiction… I don't deserve her---”
“Now you shut your bastard mouth up now… alright first things first we're going to go get this fucking wreck of a situation under our belts alright?” He Shaked his head signally his agreement with my statement…
“We're going to get off this shit alright?”
Again with the same agreement my brother shook his head
“Good I'm going to get a glass of water for the both of us? Sounds good brother? Maybe will take away these dreaded sweats I have been going through…”
“Sounds delightful brother….”
I placed the bag on the table and preceded to the kitchen to grab some water
These sweats are horrid, I can't describe the pools and pools of sweat I go through each and everyday. This addiction it has me underneath it's waist side… no more… me and randy were strong…. we can beat this dreaded hunger for more, I don't know how much though I can do to repair the broken wounds that was Randy's martial position… I can't recall the last time randy and Georgia actually had a smile cross their paths, the moment they began fighting was the moment my brother sought after my stash of opium… I kept it quite hidden from the family for so long, but randy saw past my devious lies, I couldn't bare to see my mothers reaction to my addiction, she didn't understand the troubles that crossed my mind. It was about a year ago when I began taking by the regular, around the time my dearest father passed away. After the funeral that day I sought help through the means of addiction, and I had heard upon the streets that a drug called opium was making it ways throughout the streets and the dealers were claiming that it killed grief, pain and or any form of anxiety. A miracle drug of sorts they called it, I was not to fond of people who were taking it then…..
but nonetheless I'm here, no more, shall I fall to the will of this devil…
I looked back at my brother while walking back the drinks….
The bag had moved….
*Crash*
“Brother!!!!!! No no no no no…”
I began running to my brother who was foaming at the mouth.
“What have you done??? Brother! Look at me…”
“Somebody help!! My brother he's dying…..” no one could hear my pleads…
“Why? Brother no, this isn't how it's supposed to go…. Somebody fucking help me!!!!”
Both vials were emptied…. he took both of them, he is overdosing…
I bursted to the door and yelled out
“Someone help….. Miss’s???”there was a women just down the hall.. she may of not heard me…
“Miss my brother he's dying, please?! Help me! Call 9-1-1 we need help please!!!”
She turned her head to me, and then began walking away….
“No…. No…. No no no please miss!!!! Fuck!!!” I ran back to my brother!
“Brother you're not going on me now….. come on you bastard…”
I began to pound on his chest over and over again…. each pound was a prayer of sorts that the toxicity would dissipate, my brother…. his eyes are rolling to the back of his head, his skin looked as pale as the first day a baby is born. The foam from his mouth poured to the floor like a destructive waterfall… I can save him….
“Brother please….????”
My heart, its leaping out of my chest as if a leapfrog had taken way of it. Randy's veins were badly damaged, why haven't I noticed before now? The blue had all but vanished, they were now more of a pale baby blue, one that shows great doses of toxin within the blood. His arm had a welt, it was as black as the night and as deep has a cavern… with each word I speak, I see my brothers eyes drift further and further into oblivion….
“Randy please? You can't leave me like this….”
I pounded again
“Randy come on you son of a bitch!!”
I pounded again
“Fuck!!!!”
Tears ran down my eyes, my chest felt as if it was caving in, my brother…. his life disappearing with each breath he takes, i see his eyes move frantically to not at all…
I pounded once more
No change….
“Why randy? Why now? Fuck!!!!”
I yelled over and over again curse words and different types of remorseful whys and no’s
The door opened and neighbors flooded in to see what the ruckus was about, they most likely assumed that we were stoned out of our gourd once again but what they see now… is what is truly a foot…
“Someone phone emergency services!!!”
My brother still was clinging on to some sort of life, I can see it in eyes, it was as if he knew that he had made some sort of crucial mistake, that he was trying to repair as fast as possible.
4 days later-
“Randy Morrows…. he was a husband, a brother, and most of all a amazing soul. My brother fought every second of his life, he was at a constant war against himself. Sadly my brother only found peace in….. he only found his true peace in death. Randy as a young boy was very sad as well, he always found that life was a constant reminder of how much closer to death he truly was. But back when we were just wee kids, my brother had positives to distract him. Randy may have been a sad soul his whole life, but that's only caused by his extreme devotion to his love and care for humanity, my brother saw a light in others that I could never see. He turned the oblique objects in life into ones that a more transparent meaning behind them. He always saw deeper than I could see. I have been told what my brother did was selfish, it was nothing of the sort…. my brother was a strong man, who just couldn't take any more weight placed upon his shoulders.. drugs were my brothers out lit to lift this weight of his shoulders, even if it was a brief moment of relief. My brother would of taken it. He has always been that way, I remember when I was younger, my brother got a cast molded upon his arm, as it was to heal his broken bones of the sort. Two weeks into the six week process my brother tore off the molded cast, as he found that his arm felt far more comfort being laid against smooth surface rather than the bumpy one of the cast. Of course this was a quick relief he felt, the cast dampened his arm of course making a grotesque kind of sweat on his arm, causing a constant itch. He hated this itch with a burning passion, he would write hate filled letters about his cast, but his writing hand of course was the one in the cast, so his writing look as if a chicken has wrote it. When my brother took the cast off he found that the pain on the outside of the cast was far worse than that of the dreaded itch. Sadly my brother had no solution for this world, how to cure his pain. How to cure his immense sadness…. so he decided to take his own life, he found that…. no life was better than one that kept a constant cloud of sadness over his head, and a little part of me is in understandment with Randy's decision…. but damnit a part of me sees my brothers body lying in that horrid bed, and I can all I think is how I could've stopped him.. it didn't need to end this way, we could of got you help Randy…. We could of helped….”
I began to break down in tears, my brothers body laid dormant in front of me, lifeless, his face the same as I always knew, but yet so different. That's not my brother laying in there, that's some foreign being who overtook my brother. It's my fault, my brother would still be alive if I hadn't done that pissful Drug in the first place, why did I turn my back? Why did I leave that bag to lay on the table? Why? Is all I can keep asking of myself… why?
2 Months Later
I began to head towards my brothers old house, in which his---- bitch of spouse resides in… my foul language wouldn't serve to help the situation I assume, each step towards this dreaded place spelled sadness for me, it's only been to two months since Randy…. since Randy passed I don't know as if I'm ready to bare the pain that comes when I knock upon her wooden door. The building that once belonged to my brother seemed to be a vacant lot. The word resident had lost all meaning upon this building, I always did love this house. A wooden castle of sorts, me and my brother may have never been rich by the wealth aspect, but we were rich with the love we received, this house once belonged to my mother, but when I moved she felt as if she and Randy should have moved with me. Plans changed and Randy was left behind, mother stayed with me for quite a while but the found her nesting spot within the town. My brother on the other hand found his shelter in the home that I once called my own, he took it over and gave it a new sense of life. My family and I moved quite often but this house had the most significant meaning to my heart, it was the first home I felt at home in. But when it was sold and or left to be destroyed I don't remember the house lost all…. lost all of its homeliness, and now I look upon this house with my weary eyes and wonder… why does it still feel so empty? I believe my brother Randy was the source, it wasn't the land the structure was built upon or the wood within in it, that made it home, nor was it the neighboring people around us. It was Randy… Randy was the key source to my home life feeling like home. And now that he has left this earth, the homeliness is now forever lost, with a breath of the wind my feeling of comfort has disappeared. I approached the house and paused. The dreaded day was here, I had to speak to my brothers wife, or ex wife. I don't quite know how this process works.
*knock knock*
The door opened quickly, it was her….
“Johnny!” She remarked
“Hello Georgia.”
“Why the blank face Johnny?”
I did not feel as if a response was needed.
“Listen I know things have been rough…”
“Rough? Oh you don't know the start Georgia, and don't pretend like his death had an impact upon you…”
“What are you claiming Johnny?”
“Are you saying I never loved your brother?”
“I don't know what I'm saying.”
“I believe you do, but you're undergoing grief so I will let your brief lapse in respect go past…”
“How kind of you.”
“Do you want to come in?”
“No I rather not.”
“Well then what is it you need then?”
“I'm here to drop of…..”
I handed her an envelope that had quite a bit of money within it.
“Oh!”
“I can't possibly---”
“Oh don't play this game Georgia…. you're the one who made him do this damned will so just take the fucking money.”
“Johnny how dare you…. you act as if you're the only one grieving..”
“Georgia I did not come here to discuss with you how your grieving, personally I could give less of a shit about your presence on this earth. So please take the money and let me piss off…”
“Fine Johnny…”
“Good, I'll be off then, I hope we don't have to meet each other again for such legalities.”
I began walking down the steps when I heard a faint whisper come from her mouth….
“What did you say?”
“Who me?” She said sarcastically
“No you're fucking neighbor, yes you, now what In the hell did you say?”
“Nothing of any sorts just a fond whisper! 'Tis all.”
“Georgia….. what in the fuck did you say?”
“Nothing! Now how many times shall I repeat myself before you do piss off?”
I began walking again when she uttered.
“You blame me….. but I'm not the one to blame Johnny…”
“What?”
“You know actually what I speak of”
“I wouldn't tell your mother of your twos little pity parties, and Drug parades… but I will not let you step upon my lawn and say that I am to blame for my husbands death.”
“I never claim it to be…”
“Who are you claiming it is to be Georgia?”
“Yours….”
I began to walk away once again, she saying words of hate and misery but my mind has blocked out her chatter of sorts…
5 years later-
“Is everything alright Hun?”
“Why yes of course dear I'm sorry…. you know this day has always been rough upon me…”
“Oh yes honey I have forgotten I am beyond sorry.”
“Do not say sorry, there's no need, just wondering where he is at the moment? Do you think that all this eve angelique nonsense is of true nature?”
“I don't know darling..”
“Me neither..”
“Why do we choose to believe?”
“Why are we here? All these question people be asking, there far to basic for my taste. I don't know if i'm going to…. I don't know if i'm going to go tonight.”
“What? You have never missed---”
“It's only been five or so years, my track record of appearances aren't to impressive.”
“Darling you're being too hard upon yourself, but i do need to press that you must go. Randy would---”
“I don't know what randy would of wanted” i snapped
“Sorry hun----”
“No i am, it's just--- it's just---” my eyes began to tear up
“Oh no need for words hun…”
“It's my fault…
“There was no knowing of this happening to him, he was in a dark place that no one could pull him out of.”
“It wasn't like that…”
“Then how was it then?”
“Listen i get it, i do appreciate the support, it's kind of you, but there's no convincing that this wasn't of my fault, i'm just sorry you have to listen with your weary ears upon my sadness.”
“Oh don't even say that.”
“What?”
“No pity party will be thrown here, bring your chin up and think about the positives…”
“The positives?!”
“You know what? You're right i'm sorry….”
“You remind me of him you know? You have the same ideals, the same tones. Maybe that is why i connected so harshly upon you. I know we haven't been together for a millennium but i trust you far more than i would ever trust these street women. I guess your striking personality and-----”
“And what else? I mean your already flaunting me as if im gold! And most of the time i would tell you shush up but, you can keep going.”
I chuckled
“You remind me of him…..”
“Of a man?!”
“Sort of.” she playfully hit me on back a couple of times
“What? It's your biceps! They do show a manly esce structure…” i said while smirking
“Well they may seem so massive compared to yours, i have met school girls with more muscle.”
“Oh thats low!” i chuckled once more
“But funny.”
“I guess.”
“Oh what you can say i look as if i'm a man? But i can't say that you look like those plastic molded models that they place in stores?”
“Wow”
“What”
“I'm to happy to be offended, that was far to good….”
“Alright come along now, we don't want to be late…”
“Fine, fine…. I'll meet you at the door.”
End Of Chapter Three.
Close up portrait of attractive young woman looking at camera. Head and shoulders view of female fashion model.
Anna May Wong, Warner Oland, Sessue Hayakawa
World-class Asian criminal genius Fu Manchu seeks retribution on the hated enemy he holds responsible for the murder of his wife and son, enlisting his equally sinister daughter until she's diverted by a crafty Scotland yard inspector. One of the numerous Sax Rohmer screen adaptations from the early sound era.
Princess Ling Moy, a young and beautiful Chinese aristocrat lives next door, unbeknownst to her, to Dr. Fu Manchu, a brilliant but twisted genius who is out to rule the world. She is involved with Ah Kee, a handsome young man, who also unbeknownst to her, is a secret agent out to thwart the heinous plots of Fu Manchu. As it turns out, Fu is not only her next-door neighbor, he is also, (unbeknownst to her), her father. When she finds out, will she take her father's part and fight the men out to get Fu, or will she become a brave heroine and save the world even if it is from the devious doings of her own Dad? Yes, it's dated, and there isn't nearly enough of Warner Oland in it; but it moves along well, has a lot of action, Wong and Hayakawa were fine actors, and if you're a Charley Chan fan, it's worth it to how much, if any, of Fu Oland used when creating Charley Chan.
FIRST ASIAN AMERICAN STAR!
Written by PHILIP LEIBFRIED
Her complexion was described as "a rose blushing through old ivory;" she was beautiful, tall (5'7"), slender, and Chinese-American. The last fact kept her from attaining the highest echelon among Hollywood's pantheon of stars, but it did not affect her popularity, nor keep her from becoming a household name. She was Anna May Wong, nee Wong Liu Tsong, a name which translates to "Frosted Yellow Willows," and she was born, appropriately enough, on Flower Street in Los Angeles' Chinatown on 3 January 1905, above her father's laundry. Anna May Wong's contribution to show business is a unique one; she was the first Asian female to become a star, achieving that stardom at a time when bias against her race was crushing. With determination and talent allied to her exotic beauty, she remained the only Asian female star throughout her forty-year career, never fully overcoming all prejudices in maintaining that position. Perhaps the rediscovery of her art will elevate her star to the pantheon of great performers and serve as a guiding light to Asian performers who still struggle to find their rightful place. Anna May Wong's life and career is something that is important for all who value greatly the Asian / Asian Pacific American communities' many artists and what we can all contribute!
Excerpt from : That Old Feeling: Anna May Wong
Part II of Richard Corliss' tribute to the pioneer Chinese-American star.
Daughter of the Dragon. Paramount 1931.
Based on a Fu Manchu novel by Sax Rohmer.
Daughter of the Dragon extended the curse sworn by Dr. Fu on the Petrie family to the next generation. Fu Manchu (Warner Oland), long ago injured and exiled in an attempt on Petrie Sr., returns to London and confronts the father: "In the 20 years I have fought to live," he says in his florid maleficence, "the thought of killing you and your son has been my dearest nurse." He kills the father, is mortally wounded himself and, on his deathbed, reveals his identity to his daughter Ling Moy (Wong) and elicits her vow that she will "cancel the debt" to the Fu family honor and murder the son, Ronald (Bramwell Fletcher)... who, dash it all, is madly infatuated with Ling Moy. Ronald has seen "Princess Ling Moy Celebrated Oriental Dancer" perform, and the vision has made him woozy. "I wish I could find a word to describe her," this calf-man effuses. "Exotic that's the word! And she's intriguing, if you know what I mean." In a near-clinch, Ling Moy wonders if a Chinese woman can appeal to a British toff. When he begs her to "chuck everything and stay," she asks him, "If I stayed, would my hair ever become golden curls, and my skin ivory, like Ronald's?" But the lure of the exotic is hard to shake. "Strange," he says, "I prefer yours. I shall never forget your hair and your eyes." They almost kiss ... when an off-camera scream shakes him out of his dream. It is from his girlfriend Joan (Frances Dade), and the societal message is as clear and shrill: white woman alerting white man to treachery of yellow woman. Ling Moy, a nice girl, previously unaware of her lineage, might be expected to struggle, at least briefly, with the shock of her identity and the dreadful deed her father obliges her to perform. But Wong makes an instant transformation, hissing, "The blood is mine. The hatred is mine. The vengeance shall be mine." Just before his death, Fu mourns that he has no son to kill Ronald. But, in a good full-throated reading, Wong vows: "Father, father, I will be your son. I will be your son!" The audience then has the fun of watching her stoke Ronald's ardor while plotting his death. When she is with him, pleading and salesmanship radiate from her bigeyes. But when an ally asks her why she keeps encouraging the lad, she sneers and says, "I am giving him a beautiful illusion. Which I shall crush." As a villainess, she is just getting started. Revealing her mission to Ronald, she tells him she plans to kill Joan "Because you must have a thousand bitter tastes of death before you die." (The ripe dialogue is by Hollywood neophyte Sidney Buchman, whose distinguished list of credits would include Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Here Comes Mr Jordan and The Talk of the Town.) She soon ascends on a geyser of madness as she decides on a new torture: "My vengeance is inspired tonight. You will first have the torture of seeing her beauty eaten slowly away by this hungry acid." An aide holds a hose gadget over Joan's soon-to-be-corroded face, and Ronald cries for Ling Moy to stop. Very well she says. "Ling Moy is merciful." She barks at Ronald: "Kill her!" He must decide if his favorite white girl is to be etched with acid or stabbed to death. Great stuff! Melodrama is the art of knowing how precisely too far to goThe film is a triangle: not so much of Ling Moy, Ronald and Joan as of Ling Moy, Ronald and a Chinese detective, Ah Kee, played by Sessue Hayakawa, the Japanese actor who in the teens was Hollywood's first Asian male star. He's not plausibly Chinese here, and he is in a constant, losing battle with spoken English. But he is a part of movie history, in the only studio film of the Golden Age to star two ethnically Asian actors. And he gives his emotive all to such lines as "It is the triumph of irony that the only woman I have ever deeply loved should be born of the blood that I loathe." And in the inevitable double-death finale neither the villainess nor the noble detective can survive the machinations of Hollywood justice he gently caresses the long hair of the lady he would love to have loved. "Flower Ling Moy," he says, a moment before expiring. "A flower need not love, but only be loved. As Ah Kee loved you."
The Personal Anna May Wong
This 5'7 beauty loved to study and could speak in an English accent, as well as being fluent in German and French with more than a passing knowledge of other tongues including Italian and Yiddish. For exercise she rode horses, played golf, and tennis. She liked to cook and regaled her guests with succulent Chinese dishes at frequent dinner parties. She preferred casual clothes, wearing slacks and sweaters at home, but cultivated an oriental motif in her very smart formal wardrobe. She studied singing with Welsh tenor Parry Jones before she participated in the film Limehouse Blues as George Raft's mistress. Anna loved to dance to contemporary music. Anna was quoted as saying, "I think I got my first chance because they thought I was peculiar. But, now I like to believe that the public are fond of me because they think I'm nice."
The story of Anna May Wong’s life traced the arc of triumph and tragedy that marked so many of her films. Wong's youthful ambition and screen appeal got her farther than anyone else of her race. But her race, or rather Hollywood's and America's fear of giving Chinese and other non-whites the same chance as European Americans, kept her from reaching the Golden Mountaintop. We can be startled and impressed by the success she, alone, attained. And still weask: Who knows what Anna May Wong could have been allowed to achieve if she
had been Anna May White?
Anna May Wong passed away on Feb. 3rd 1961 she was 56 years old.
Filmography:
The Red Lantern. Metro 1919. The First Born. Robertson Cole 1921.
Shame. Fox 1921. Bits of Life. Assoc. First National 1921.
The First Born. Robertson Cole 1921. Thundering Dawn. Universal 1923
The Toll of the Sea. Metro 1922 Drifting. Universal 1923 Fifth Avenue. PRC 1926.
Lillies of the Field. Assoc. First National 1924. The Thief of Bagdad. United Artists 1924
The Fortieth Door. Pathé serial 1924. The Alaskan. Paramount 1924.
Peter Pan. Paramount 1924. Forty Winks. Paramount 1925.
The Silk Bouquet/The Dragon Horse. Hi Mark Prod. 1926 The Desert's Toll. MGM 1926.
A Trip to Chinatown. Fox 1926. The Chinese Parrot. Universal. 1927.
Driven from Home. Chadwick 1927. Mr. Wu. MGM 1927.
Old San Francisco. Warner Bros. 1927. Why Girls Love Sailors. Pathé short 1927.
The Devil Dancer. United Artists 1927. Streets of Shanghai. Tiffany 1927.
Across to Singapore. MGM 1928. Pavement Butterfly (aka City Butterfly).
The City Butterfly. German 1929. Across to Singapore. MGM 1928.
The Crimson City. Warner Bros. 1928. Song. German 1928
Chinatown Charlie. First National 1928. Piccadilly, British International 1929.
Elstree Calling. British International 1930. The Flame of Love. British International 1930.
Hay Tang. German 1930. L'Amour Maitre Des Choses. French 1930.
Daughter of the Dragon. Paramount 1931. Shanghai Express. Paramount 1932.
A Study in Scarlet. World Wide 1933. Tiger Bay. Associated British 1933.
Chu Chin Chow. Gaumont 1934. Java Head. Associated British 1934.
Limehouse Blues. Paramount 1934. Daughter of Shanghai. Paramount 1937.
Hollywood Party. MGM short subject 1937. Dangerous to Know. Paramount 1938.
The Toll of the Sea. Metro 1922. The Thief of Bagdad 1924
Shanghai Express 1932
Snow White and her Prince have now been fully deboxed. They are posed standing, supported by the built-in doll stands in the base of the display case.
This regular version of the Snow White and the Prince Disney Fairytale Designer Collection Doll Set has the same two base dolls as the D23 special edition dolls that I reviewed earlier. That is the dolls themselves are identical in every way (except for the serial numbers on the back of the Prince dolls). They also have outfits of almost identical designs, but made of different materials and with differing colors. So the dolls have different looks, especially the Snow Whites.
Snow White has the body of a 2012 Disney Store Classic Princess doll. That is, she has hard plastic legs, with hinged knee joints and ball jointed ankles. She is missing the usual manufacturer's marks printed on Disney limited edition dolls, including the part number and her edition size and serial number. She is also missing the twist waist joint of the previous Designer Princess and Designer Villain dolls. She has a pale complexion, the same as the 2012 Snow White, with whom she shares the same body. However, her neck joint has more freedom of movement, especially downward, and her painted on panties are deep golden yellow, much darker than the 2012 Snow White.
Her face mold appears to be the same as the 2012 and 2013 Classic Snow White, but with a considerably different face paint than either of them. She has large dark brown eyes that are glancing to her left, with four short thick lashes over each eye and four very short and thin lashes under each eye. Over her eyes is gold eyeshadow, and thin black eyebrows gently following the curve of her eyes. She also had short rooted eyelashes that are just barely curving upwards, and are even in length. She has a small button nose, a small mouth with blood red lips forming a charming open mouth smile. She has light pink rouge over most of her cheeks, and a round face with small chin. She is a very beautiful and faithful representation of the sweet and charming movie character.
Her hair is a considerable departure from the traditional short flip hairdo. Her jet black hair is parted to the left of her head, and pulled tightly over her head into a medium length braided ponytail that tapers down to a point and is secured by black rubberband, and is sewn to her collar on her right side. There is a small amount of hair product applied just above her forehead, to a thin strip of her hair. In my doll, that strip keeps on separating from the rest of her hair. I haven't been able to integrate it with the rest of her hair; perhaps I will have to apply more hair product to keep it place. There is a thin bright red satin ribbon around the top of her head that ends in a small bow at left side of her head.
Her outfit is a take on her traditional Princess gown. Her bodice and skirt are separate pieces. The bodice is dark blue velvet with gold piping and elaborate gold embroidery, and decorated with a bow made of metallic gold thread. The floral design is similar to the D23 doll, but differs in its details. She has puffy sleeves of the same dark blue velvet, with separate ribbons of bright red satin that float over the velvet. The sleeves have black lace cuffs decorated with gold hearts, and the oversized collar is pure white lace folded in a fan-like manner behind her neck and head. Her skirt is dark golden taffeta with gold embroidering incorporating fleur-de-lis, flowers and hearts. The embroidery in the skirt is identical to that of the D23 doll. The taffeta gives the skirt has a wrinkled, antique appearance. It has a thin pale tan satin lining. There are golden rhinestones scattered throughout the bodice and skirt of her dress. Under her dress is a floor length white satin slip with the lacey pattern at the hem showing below her skirt. It is sewn to her skirt at two spots at the hem, which I chose to leave alone for now. It is also sewn to the waist band of the skirt, so it is a permanent part of the skirt. She is wearing golden tan flat shoes (or slippers), the same as the D23 doll. It is a beautifully designed and beautifully made outfit that is a darker and more ornated version of the Princess outfit of the movie character.
The Prince appears to have the standard Disney Store Prince body, with articulation at the neck, shoulders, hinge jointed elbows, ball jointed hips, and internal knee joints with limited movement. His hands and feet are large, but his head is disproportionately small compared to Snow White. His face has a neutral expression, with small, narrow deep blue eyes, wide mouth and a straight nose. His molded dark brown hair looks okay. His face doesn't look that movie accurate to me; I actually prefer the playline Classic Prince. As with all Disney Prince dolls, he is sturdily built, and can free stand fairly stably. But for safe keeping, it is best to put him up in the included doll stand, which has a wide C-clamp that goes around his waist very snuggly.
The Prince's outfit is very well made and fitted to his body. It consists of a dark blue faux leather vest, a bright red velvet and satin cape with gold piping permanently attached at the shoulders of the vest, a dark blue faux leather belt with a gold metal buckle and a short black faux leather scabbard attached, white satin shirt, black pants and black boots with a worn look and creases. In the scabbard is a steel gray sword with a brown handle. The sword is thin and very flexible. It was slightly bent out of the box, but was easily bent back into shape. The D23 Prince's vest is much thicker, and feels much more like real leather than this Prince doll. But this Prince has an outfit that is much closer in color to the movie character. He looks great in his outfit, and very dashing, but I wish his expression had more emotion, and was more cheerful.
Snow White and the Prince - Limited Edition Doll Set
Disney Fairytale Designer Collection
US Disney Store
Released and purchased in store on August 20, 2013.
Released online August 21, 2013.
$129.95 US
#558 of 6000
First Look
I will photograph the set boxed, during the deboxing, and fully deboxed. I will also pose the dolls next to comparable dolls, for instance the Gold D23 Snow White doll set.
Product information from the US Disney Store website:
Snow White and the Prince Doll Set - Disney Fairytale Designer Collection
$129.95
Item No. 6070040900883P
Fairest two of all
With lips red as the rose and skin as white as snow, the Princess has never looked fairer. Paired with her handsome Prince, this stunning set of Disney Fairytale Designer Collection dolls will be cherished happily ever after.
Magic in the details...
Please Note: Each Guest will be limited to ordering a maximum of one of this item per order.
As part of the Disney Fairytale Designer Collection this pair of Snow White and Prince dolls were carefully crafted by artists inspired by Walt Disney's 1937 classic, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The original Disney Princess and her Prince have been reimagined in exquisite detail with these limited edition dolls. Brought to life with thoughtful attention, they uniquely capture the essence of the fairytale couple, creating a one of a kind set that will be a treasured keepsake of collectors, Disney fans and every princess at heart.
•Global Limited Editon of 6000
•Includes Certificate of Authenticity
•Romantic side-swept hair
•Dramatic lace collar
•Elaborately embroidered velvet bodice with puff sleeves with red satin detailing
•Layered gown ornately decorated with golden gemstones, taffeta, lace, and embroidered foliage
•Dramatic make-up and rooted eyelashes
•Red bow headband
•Prince features velvet cape
•Satin shirt with faux leather waistcoat and belt
•Boots and sword
•Dolls sold in a special keepsake display case with intricate details on the base, including a golden plate with the name of Snow White and the Prince
•Includes special Disney Fairytale Designer Collection Gift Bag
•Part of the Disney Fairytale Designer Collection
* Intended for adult collectors -- Not a child's toy.
The bare necessities
•Plastic / polyester
•Snow White: 11 1/2''
•Prince: 12'' H
•Imported
Wanted to try a black and white edit of Lisa. This dark top is nice and simple and adds a nice bit of contrast to her light hair and complexion. Really like the result.
I love a soft, beautiful light and usually I just use a 36" umbrella (either reflected or shoot-thru) but today I put my 5ft umbrella in front of the 36" umbrella to soften the light even more and make an even larger light source. Still all lit with a Yongnuo 560 and fired by Cactus v5s. I also used a white reflector below Lisa on the table instead of the harder silver side.
This instance of yarn bombing encountered in Victoria Square this morning made me giggle like an idiot.
Day 29 of 365 Days in Colour - Day 29 of August, Cream.
Taken with iPhone 4S.
Hannah and Grace may be blondes and 41 years old, but I think that is where the similarities end.
Hannah is a seven liner, has super pink lips, deep green eyeshadow, platinum blonde fine hair and a creamy complexion.
Grace on the other hand, is a six liner, has pale pink lips, soft green eyeshadow, golden blonde coarse hair and a pink complexion. She also has shiny lids.
It's these differences that make me love kenners so much. No two are ever the same.
It was getting excruciating every weekend now. Even though we were playing a relegation struggler in Sunderland, I got a feeling that United would come undone. And I was proven right again.
What was devastating was the manner of the loss. We were hardly in the tie. We conceded first but managed to equalise. Came the second half, the complexion of the game changed when Big Sam Allerdyce somehow managed to suss out our tactics.
Sunderland played with a higher line and United just couldn't keep hold of the pace. We were behind again, deservedly so in the final 10 minutes. Added to that, we lost Darwin through dislocated shoulder.
It looked like the rumour mill would be churning double quick with the latest loss. A lot would be written about the arrival of Mourinho and at the rate we were going, that might just be a relief.
Certainly not looking forward to the next game ....
Blogged here.
Wherever there is a human being, I see God-given rights inherent in that being, whatever may be the sex or complexion.
William Lloyd Garrison