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Chinese Handicraft
Probably it's true that you can tell a nation from its handicrafts. The handicraft industry at its very beginning marked the civilization. It then kept evolving and finally appears gorgeous today.
When wonderful items break upon you, in your consciousness you may wonder their past. You may also wonder why they have existed and the role they have played. Probably you like to think that they are living things.
Actually, Chinese handicrafts are created to be living things. It has been the highest level pursued by countless artisans on their works. You may think the norm abstract, intricate, or mysterious, but when you see close to some works, you would feel an undercurrent of power flowing in them. Probably that's what the oriental art suggests to its viewers.
Chinese handicrafts are multiform. The paper cut, woodblock picture, leather silhouette, silk embroidery, carving, pottery and so on, in our Web site are just part of them.
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Porcelain
China is the fist nation to manufacture true porcelain in the world, as suggested by its name, china. Seven or eight thousands years ago during the new Stone Age, the inhabitants of the Yellow River Basin began to make pottery. The larger quantities of unearthed vessels showed that the vitreous glazes had come into use by the time of the Shang Dynasty (16th- 11th centuries B.C.). The Tang and Song Dynasties were a time of rapid development in porcelain manufacture. And porcelain manufacture reached its height of excellence in Ming and Qing Dynasties. The Ming and Qing porcelain ware, such as the polychrome, blue and white bowls, jugs and vases, are even better known today. During these dynasties, almost the entire porcelain industry was concentred in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province. In the Ming Dynasty, porcelain painted in cobalt oxide under a glaze became the most famous and was shipped in large quantities to the Middle East and Near East. Actually, porcelain made in Jingdezhen began to find its way to Europe from the 17th century onwards and can be seen in many large museums today. Among the most famous types of porcelain during the Ming and Qing are famille rose, blue and white Doucai, sacrificial red, rouge ware and misty blue eggshell porcelain.
Tang Tri-colored Glazed Potteries
In many tombs of the Tang Dynasty, people have found a variety of tri-colored glazed figurines, the most popular ones of which were horses and ladies. Mainly has the three-color glaze, yellow, green and brown, hence it got the name. The chemicals in the glaze change gradually in the firing process, creating a variegated effect with a majestic and elegant artistic attraction. Tri-colored glazed pottery was usually used as burial objects.
At that time, women enjoyed unparalleled freedom. Judging from the potteries and pictures, most of the Tang women wore sexy wide-collared skirts or thin-layered silk robes making their chests half-naked. Plumpness was not in fashion in Tang Dynasty until the ascendance of Yang Yuhuan who, though a little bit fat by today's standards, captivated the emperor and became the sexy idol of the time. Following her style, lavishness became the rule of fashion.
Tang people were open-minded and glad to accept exotic cultures from all over the world. Foreign traders, missionaries, diplomats, and artists traveled thousands of miles along the Silk Road to visit the Tang’s capital city Chang'an. The trace of melting of multiple cultures can be found in Tang Tri-colored Glazed Potteries.
Lacquerware
Lacquer ware is a special product of China . After being heated and mixed with pigments, colorful lacquer comes into being and can be made as delicate handicrafts. The Chinese lacquer with brilliant color is waterproof, corrosionproof and high temperature resist. It is one of China’s great inventions of industrial arts. Lacquer ware not only has great ornamental value but also wide practicality.
Lacquer ware has the time-honored history in China . According to historical records, China is the first country in the world to use lacquer. Besides the ornamental furniture and various kinds of wares, lacquer ware can used as musical instruments, weapons as well as funeral wares. The lacquer ware was in use as early as in Xia Dynasty 4,200 years ago. During the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. -220 A .D.), people took lacquer ware as their daily utility. In ancient China, the lacquer trees were planted in a large area. The great philosopher Zhuangzi in Warring States (476B.C.-221B.C.) was once the specific official taking charge of the lacquer tree garden. The early lacquer was very simple. They were made of the wooden or bamboo molds painting with lacquer. As civilization advanced, the technique such as colored pattern, liquid gold gilded decoration and so on has appeared, and different dynasties' lacquer wares have their own styles and features. In the heyday of lacquer ware in Han Dynasty, lacquer box, plant, earring, mask, chessboard, etc. came into being, with main colors of red and black. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the production of lacquer ware reached a new peak. In the period, lacquer technique began to combine with architecture and furniture production, gradually turning focus to ornamental field. In Ming Dynasty, lacquer carving was very popular.
The modern lacquer ware producing areas are Beijing , Jiangsu Province, Shanghai . Chongqing, Pingyao in Shanxi Province, Yangzhou in Nanjing Province, Dafang in Guizhou Province, Tianshui in Gansu Province, Yichun in Jiangxi Province and Fengxaing in Shanxi Province.
Cloisonné
Cloisonné is a kind of traditional enamelware, known as ‘Jingtai Blue' in China, with a history more than 500 years. It is so called because ‘blue' is the typical color used for enamels and ‘Jingtai' is the title of the Ming Emperor's reign. Brilliant in color and splendid in design, they enjoy a high reputation both at home and abroad.
Cloisonné first developed in the Near East. It spread to the Byzantine Empire and from there along the Silk Road to China. Chinese cloisonné is probably the most well known and ubiquitous.
The process of making cloisonné is rather complicated. It begins with the casting of bronze into different shapes of vases, jars, bowls and the alike, to which flat bronze wires are then affixed in decorative patterns. Enamels of different colors are applied to fill the cloisonné or hollows. Each cloisonné piece is fired three times with a fresh coat of enamel each time. After firing, the pieces are ground and polished, and look to be gilded.
In 1949 cloisonné craftsmanship has undergone great development in two respects. First, the color range of enamels has been extend to pea green, rose purple, brown, egg yellow, azure and golden color. Most cloisonné pieces now are made with polychrome, and polished to create various tones. Secondly, the design has been improved by borrowing from patterns found in old silks.
Fan
China has its profound fan culture, which has the close relationship with the bamboo culture and Buddhism. According to different materials, there are feather fan, silk fan, paper fan, wheat straw fan, bone folding fan and palm-leaf fan, etc. As to the functions, fan can be divided into the dancing fan, hanging fan, hat fan as well as large folding fan for decoration and so on. 
The earliest fan appeared During the Yin Dynasty about 3,000 years ago. It was first made of colorful bird feathers and served as the thing for the empire to avoid sand blow by wind in the open air. After Western Han Dynasty (206B.C. -24A .D.), fan became a tool a tool to drive away heat and simulate cool breezes. During the Eastern Han Dynasty ( 25A .D. -220A .D.), fans began to be made of silk instead of feather. At that time, fan were shaped like the full moon, cashew or hexagon with the handle made of wood, bamboo, bone even ivory. The faces of fan are often painted with flower and birds as well as the water and mountain scenery. The embroidery face was also very popular. The first painted fan with calligraphy appeared during the Three State Period ( 220A .D. -280A .D.). Here is a story about the inscribed fan. Once there was a old woman who selling hexagon bamboo fans in Shaoxing , Zhejiang Province. She pleaded inscription from the famous calligraphy master Wang Xizhi. Wang jumped at the inquiry and inscribed five characters on the fan. Therefore, the price rose dramatically. When it comes to the Northern Song Dynasty, mini portable fans came into being. During the Southern Song Dynasty, it was a trend of collecting and inscribing fans and there were fan shops and merchants in cities. In modern times, many Chinese painting maters such as Qi Baishi and Zhang Daqian are very good at fan inscription. The inscriptions especially out of the masters will add grate value to fans, which has become the favorite of many collectors.
Hangzhou city is famous for its fan making. First established in 1857, Wangxingji Fan Shop is one of the old brands.
Folk Woodblock Picture
It is a kind of picture enjoying popularity among the people with a large variety. A few of them are singled out for appreciation, but most of them are used for different worldly life and protocols, such as the portrait of the Gate God, the portrait of gods, illustration, pictures for packaging and decorating, window flowers, lamp pictures, kites, paper cards, colorful squares, flags, embroidery patterns. Of these pictures some are printed in a single color (black), some others are printed in chromatography or by the continuation of color applying. It is a characteristic way of picture popularization from the invention of China's woodblock printing to the contemporary printing skill. Their authors are professional painter and engravers. Some of them are anonymously created.
Kite
Chinese kite originated from the Warring States Period (476 B.C.-221 B.C.). The deft craftsman Lu Ban was said to be the inventor. His invention had the bird' s name of ‘Yuan', a kind of bird of hawk family with a long, often forked tail and a long pointed winds. He made the kite out of the thin wooden or bamboo strips. After the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. -220 A .D.), paper was introduced into the kite-making and replaced the wood and bamboo. Hence, the kite got the name ‘Zhi Yuan', as ‘Zhi' in Chinese means paper. And during the Five Dynasties Period ( 907 A .D. -960 A .D.), people tied the bamboo whistle to the kite. When the kite flying, the airflow can make the whistle sounded like Kucheng playing, hence the name ‘Fengcheng'. As the civilization advanced, making and playing the kite became very popular in Weifang area, Shandong Province during the Tang and Song Dynasties. Weifang's kite has reached its heyday during the Tang and Song Dynasties. Every year in spring when the Clear and Bright comes, the weather become warm. All most every household went out to fly the kite and have a picnic in sunny and windy days. It was an exuberant folk activity and a good time to display the kites as well as enjoy the warm weather and the fresh air. The tradition has been well kept until today and becomes the world-famous Weifang International Kite Festival, which is held between 20th to 25th in April every year.
Since Weifang has the tradition and history of kite, it is famous for its kite making. The kite making in Weifang is exquisite in style, beautiful in painting and good in quality. What's more, it has abstracted the strongpoint of wooden New Year's Painting, making its appearance more colorful, vivid, and elegant. The masterpiece of Weifang kite is giant centipedes kite with Chinese dragonhead. It is as long as 100 Chi. Making such a giant fly needs the skill. Firstly, the head part should be raised than the tail part, and then use the power from the body parts to make the head rose higher. The connections between the body parts have specially designed, which ensures the kite fly. Besides Weifang, Beijing , Tianjing, and Nantong in JIangsu Province are also famous for their characteristic kites. Craftsmen usually make the kite according to the different animals, traditional mythologies and famous novel characters.
Papercuts
According to the unearthed relics, paper cutting appeared during the Northern Dynasty ( 386 A .D. - 581 A .D.) at least. Hence, it has the history more than 1,500 years. At first, Paper cutting was only popular among the countryside, and the masters were farmwives. They might do it for their whole lives from teenagers to the grey hairs, creating hundreds of vivid pieces. Today, the art has developed into an art forms that can fully represent Chinese traditional folk culture. As the paper cutting combines many folk art forms such as painting and cutting, it can serve as the window for one who wants to know the traditional Chinese folk art.
As a folk art, paper cutting has a strong local feature. Many places in China are famous for their featured paper cutting. Shaanxi Province stresses the simplicity of the cutting. Wei County in Hebei Province and Guangling in Shanxi Province , for example, are well known for their dyed paper cutting, which is of the brilliant colors, and with the most famous pattern of the opera characters. The paper cutting of Nanjing in Jiangsu Province has the hidden refinement under the skin-deep roughness. As to the paper cutting of Foshan in Guangdong Province , it has the highly ornamental function for its various colors and pattern as well as the fine workmanship. Chinese paper cutting is rich in content from the animals and plants to the vividly daily life scenes. Some of them even are created into a series to telling you a interesting Chinese mystique. Some are cut into many creatures in the world on one sheet with great imagination.
Paper cutting falls into the many categories according to their sticking places and functions. There are cutting for window, door, wall, and those for roof and light as well as for marriage and different festivals. Many of them are used during the New Year and marriage to add up the happy and auspicious atmosphere. As to the Patterns, it has a distinctive usage. Pattern serves as a model to make other paper cuttings. Once a cutting is finished, it is fastened to a white sheet. Then place the sheet above the candle light to make the pattern appear on the sheet by smoking. By this simple way, the farmwives have passed down many valuable patterns. Paper cutting requires rather simple tool that only consists of engraving knifes, scissor and papers but deft skill as well as experience and carefulness.
Chinese Knot
Chinese Knot is a decorative handicraft that began as a folk art in Tang and Song Dynasties, and became popular in Ming and Qing Dynasties. It is distinctive for its complicated pattern is woven separately from one piece of thread. Chinese people have known how to tie knots using cords ever since they began learned how to attach animal fur to their bodies to keep warm thousands of years ago. As civilization advanced, Chinese people used knots for more than just fastening and wrapping. Knots were also used to record the events, while others had ornamental functions. In Chinese, ‘knot' means reunion, peace, marriage, love, acquaintance and so on. Chinese knots are often used to express the above good wishes.
The Chinese Knots are name according to their different shapes, usages and origins. The treasure knot, for example, is with the appearance of ‘Yuanbao', the Chinese ancient golden ingot. And the button knot, which has the function as the button. Each type of Chinese Knot usually has a beautiful and auspicious name. The material of the thread can be the cotton, nylon and so on, and many of them are red. The exquisitely symmetrical knots that come in so many forms are the valuable cultural heritage of China.
In the ancient time, the knots are pulled tightly and sturdily together that can be used for binding or wrapping, which making them very practical. In addition, it is endowed with high decorative value by its complicated structure. Almost all basic Chinese knots are symmetrical, which has set certain technical limitations on the design and creation of new patterns. Traditionally, symmetry pattern suites the aesthetic standards of the Chinese people well. Moreover, the symmetrical designs are the most popular among Chinese people visually.
Making the Chinese knot involves three processes, naming tying knots, tightening and adding the finishing touches. Knot- tying methods are fixed, but the tightening can determine the degree of tension in a knot, the length of loops (ears) and the smoothness and orderliness of the lines. Thus, how well a Chinese knot has been tightened can demonstrate the skill and artistic merit of a knot artist. Finishing a knot means inlaying pearls or jade stones, starching the knot into certain patterns, or adding any other final touches. Besides the Two-coin Knot, the Chinese knot is three dimensional in structure. It consists of two planes tied together leaving a hollow center. Such structure lends rigidity to the work as a whole and keeps its shape when hung on the wall. The hollow center also allows for the addition of precious stones, such as the jade.
The endless variations and elegant patterns of the Chinese knot, as well as the multitude of different materials that used have expanded the functions and widened the applications of the Chinese knot. Jewelry, clothes, gift-wrapping and furniture can be accentuated with unique Chinese knot creations. The Chinese knot has been served as both the fixtures and decoration of palace halls and the daily implements of countryside households since long time ago. Large Chinese knot served as wall hangings have the same decorative value as fine paintings or photographs, and are perfectly suitable for decorating a parlor or study as well as the hall. The Chinese knot, with its classic elegance and ever- changing patterns, is both practical and ornamental, fully reflecting the grace of Chinese culture.
Interior Painting in Snuff Bottles
Snuff bottles are not native to China but were reportedly introduced from the West by Fr. Matteo Ricci, an Italian Jesuit father who worked in Beijing in the early 17th century. Yet the art of interior painting in snuff bottles was born and developed in China and unique to the country.
A popular story tells how the art originated. In the Qing Dynasty, an official addicted to snuff stopped on his way at a small temple for a rest. When he took out his crystal snuff bottle to take a sniff, he found it was already empty. He then scraped off a little of the powder that had stuck on the interior wall of the bottle by means of a slender bamboo stick, thus leaving lines on the inside, visible through the transparent wall. A young monk saw him at this and hit upon the idea of making pictures inside the bottle. Thus a new art was born.
The "painting brush" of the snuff bottle artist today is not very different from what the official in the story used at the beginning. It is a slender bamboo stick, not much thicker but much longer than a match, with the tip shaped like a fine-pointed hook. Dipped in coloured ink and thrust inside the bottle, the hooked tip is employed to paint on the interior surfaces of the walls, following the will of the painter.
The art became perfected and flourished towards the end of the Qing Dynasty at the turn of the century. Curio dealers began to offer good prices to collect them for a profit.
Snuff bottles are small in size, no more than 6-7 cm high and 4-5 cm wide, yet the accomplished artist can produce, on the limited space of the internal surfaces, any subject on the whole gamut of traditional Chinese painting- human portraits, landscapes, flowers and birds- and calligraphy. Liu Shouben, a celebrated contemporary master in this field, succeeded in painting all the 108 heroes and heroines of the classical novel Water Margin, each with his or her characteristic expression, all inside one single bottle!
Embroidery
Traditionally, girls in towns and cities learned the skill at their early age, which will give them an advantage when they are going to marry. Embroidery was first developed by local wemen to decorate their clothes, pouches and bedclothes. With its designs rich in life and full of colors, it has gradually developed into a national art. What's more, China's large production of silk has promoted the development of embroidery and brocade art. The four most famous types of embroidery in China are from Jiangsu, Hunan, Guangdong and Sichuan Provinces. The most famous styles of brocades are Yunjin from Nanjing, Songjin from Suzhou, amd Shujin from Sichuan. There are other well known styles of brocade made by minority peoples, such as Zhuang people in Guangxi, Dai people in Yunnan, and Li people in Hainan.
Early embroidery had the design and patterns only on one side, while thereverse side had irregular stitches and threadends. Later the skills of the double side embroidery evolved. Both sides of embroidery can be displayed in the same design and different colors. For example, a peony design would be red ion one side and yellow on the opposite side.
Batik
Batik is one of China 's ancient traditional printing and dyeing techniques. Taking wax as resistance, the technique can give a special white-blue pattern to textile. People first paint the pattern with wax on textile, then during the dyeing, the part painted with wax remains white. At the same time, the textile is endowed with many natural drain marks by chapped wax, which makes batik a special charm. For its rich pattern, simple but elegant color and ethnic style, batik is very popular in China.
The technique gained great development during Western Zhou Dynasty (2nd century B.C.-771 B.C.) after it was invented. According to Book of Rites, there were officials who took charge of textile dyeing at time. By this, one can see how long the history batik has in China. In Xinjiang area, Mogao Grottoes and other areas, there are many unearthed batiks. Among these cultural relics, the ones of the Northern Dynasty were white-bark blue. And the ones of Tang Dynasty get the background of brown and yellow, what's more, most of them have white patterns.
In the southern part of China, especially in ethnic minority group area in Guizhou Provicne, batik technique has been handed down from generation to generation. It is very popular among the area, which has been one of the indispensable parts of ethnic minority women in their daily life. There is an ancient song about batik‘s origin in Miao minority area. There was a smart girl who was not satisfied with the monochrome clothes, wishing to have colorful patterns dyeing on the skirt. Thinking of painting one by one has too much trouble; however, she could not work out other way. One day, she fell asleep among the flowers. When she waked up, she found that the bees had left dotted beeswax on her skirt. She thought it did not look good, so tried to cover it by indigo blue dye. After dyeing, she surprisingly found that the places of beeswax turned out to be the beautiful white patterns. By the inspiration, she painted the cloth with beeswax and dyed it in indigo blue. She was so glad that she found out the way to make the beautiful cloth, hence sangt the song happily. Once heard her songs, people came to her and learnt how to dye the patterns. By this way, the technique spread out among the Miao and Buyi people.
In Huangping area and Danzhai County in Guizhou Province, the Miao people take batik as their principle ornament. The women's scarf, skirt, clothes and leg wrappings as well as some daily utilities, such as bag and handkerchief are made of batik textile. In Anshun and Puding area, Miao women take the batik shreds as their sleeve and rim ornament. Besides blue, they add other colors such as red, yellow and green to the textile. The batiks from different ethnic minorities have their own features. The Miao people's, for example, has the same pattern as the ancient brown drum, and the subject matter of folk stories. Among the patterns, there also are flowers, birds, fishes and so on. As to the Buyi people, they are fond of using geometric patterns on batik. In China , the home to batik is the city of Anshun in Guizhou Province . In 1992, the city held the first International batik festival, attracting many guests both from home and abroad. There are numerous workshops and craftsmen in the city, gaining the art of batik great development. The city also is the important tourism city and transpiration hub of Guizhou Province. The famous Huangguoshu Waterfall is in the area.
Jade
Jade (Yu in Chinese pinyin) was defined as beautiful stones by Xu Zhen (about 58-147) in Shuo Wen Jie Zi, the first Chinese dictionary. Jade is generally classified into soft jade (nephrite) and hard jade (jadeite). Since China only had the soft jade until jadeite was imported from Burma during the Qing dynasty (1271-1368), jade traditionally refers to the soft jade so it is also called traditional jade. Jadeite is called Feicui in Chinese. Feicui is now more popular and valuable than the soft jade in China.
The history of jade is as long as the Chinese civilization. Archaeologists have found jade objects from the early Neolithic period (about 5000 BC), represented by the Hemudu culture in Zhejian Province, and from the middle and late Neolithic period, represented by the Hongshan culture along the Lao River, the Longshan culture along the Yellow River, and the Liangzhu culture in the Tai Lake region. Jade has been ever more popular till today.
The Chinese love jade because of not only its beauty, but also more importantly its culture, meaning and humanity, as Confucius (551 BC - 479 BC) said there are 11 De (virtue) in jade. The following is the translation (don't know the translator):
'The wise have likened jade to virtue. For them, its polish and brilliancy represent the whole of purity; its perfect compactness and extreme hardness represent the sureness of intelligence; its angles, which do not cut, although they seem sharp, represent justice; the pure and prolonged sound, which it gives forth when one strikes it, represents music. Its color represents loyalty; its interior flaws, always showing themselves through the transparency, call to mind sincerity; its iridescent brightness represents heaven; its admirable substance, born of mountain and of water, represents the earth. Used alone without ornamentation it represents chastity. The price that the entire world attaches to it represents the truth. To support these comparisons, the Book of Verse says: "When I think of a wise man, his merits appear to be like jade."’
Thus jade is really special in Chinese culture, also as the Chinese saying goes "Gold has a value; jade is invaluable."
Because jade stands for beauty, grace and purity, it has been used in many Chinese idioms or phrases to denote beautiful things or people, such as Yu Jie Bing Qing (pure and noble), Ting Ting Yu Li (fair, slim and graceful) and Yu Nv (beautiful girl). The Chinese character Yu is often used in Chinese names.
Clay Figurine Zhang
Clay Figurines Zhang is a school of clay figurine in Northern China, which was initiated by Zhang Mingshan in the late Qing Dynasty. Zhang was born in a poor family in Tianjin city, who learned the skill of clay figurines from his father at a very young age. Zhang was clever, deft and full of imagination. He carefully observed people from different walks of life, so that he would make clay figurines of people he met vividly. Clay figurines created by Zhang include heroes and villains from Chinese folk stories, novels, and operas as well as scenes from daily life.
Zhang not only inherited the legacy of traditional skills but also incorporated skills from other art forms such as painting and wood engravings. He created more than 10,000 clay figurines during his whole life,and his unique handicrafts became famous both at home and abroad.
People liked his clay figurines very much and gave him the nickname of Clay Figurine Zhang.
Stone Lion
Stone lion is carved out of stone, which is the common ornament in Chinese traditional architecture, such as imperial palace, temple, Buddha pagoda, bridge, mausoleum, mansion, gardens and so on. Generally, stone lion refers to the paired lions outside the gate; however, their appearances turn out to be the lions we are not familiar with. Maybe the most people in central plains of ancient China had never seen the real lion. There is another saying that the lion of ancient Western Region is distinctive from the ones of Africa.
It is said that the lion was introduced into China in Han Dynasty (206B.C. -220 A .D.) from the Western Region. In Chinese culture, lion is a mythical figure rather than a real animal. Together with Kylin, lion is regarded as the divine beast. After its introduction, lion gradually became the mascot outside the gate, for Chinese people think that lion can drive away the evil spirits. Another saying of why take stone lion as the gate keeper is related to the pronunciation of stone lion (Shishi) in Chinese. Stone sounds like ‘Shi' in Chinese with the meaning of solid, and the second ‘Shi' referring to lion sounds similar to ‘Si', with the meaning of ‘to think about'. As the whole, stone lion has the moral that it is difficult to start and keep a business.
The appearances of different dynasties stones lions are distinctive. The ones of Han and Tang Dynasties are strong and intrepid, the thin but powerful ones are from Yuan Dynasty. As to the stone lions of Ming and Qing Dynasties, they appeared more meek and gentle. Besides, stone lions have the obvious local features. As a whole, the lions from the northern China are more decent and simple-carved, while the lions from the South are more vivid and alive with many matching accessory sculptures. The stone lion usually is carved based on Xumizuo, a kind of architectural ornament frequently used as the base for decent building or carving. Most of lions have curly hairs.
The location of the stone lion is settled in China . Generally, it should be a pair of lions with female in the right hand side and male the left according to Chinese traditional Yin and Yang philosophy. The female lion is usually carved to have a child lion between her paws, while the male lion is playing a ball with one paw. When people enter the building, the female lion should be at the left hand side and the male at the right. However, there are the exceptions, such as the stone lions outside the Temple of Guan Yu in Jiayu Pass and the stone lions standing in front of the Confucian Temple in Qufu , Shandong Province. One can see the famous stone lions before the Tian'anmen Rostrum, the Altar of Land and Grain in Zhongshan Park and Peking University as well as Lugou Bridge in Beijing.
Wood Carving
Root carving is one of China’s traditional arts. China has a time-honored history of root carving. The earliest existing root carving unearthed in 1980 in Hubei Province is believed to be made during the Warring State about 3,000 years ago. According to the historical records, the daily utility, ornament and furniture made of root came into being in Southern Qi period ( 420A .D. -479A .D.). In one of his poems, Tang poet Han Yu described a root-carving figure vividly. During the Song and Yuan Dynasties, some painters began to focus on root-carving painting. In Qing Dynasty, root carving reached a new peaking, and there were many artist specialized root carving. Today many valuable root carvings are kept in the Imperial Palca in Beijing and Yuyuan Garden in Shanghai.
The process of root carving has four steps. First step is to select the material. The quality of the root should be tough and firm. As to the shape, it should possess its own feature, which has the great effect on later creation. As root carving featured originality, the creator should make the best use of material's original shape and natural beauty. He or she must find out the best conception according to the selected root, and try their best to keep the traits of root, such as fibers, holes and veins. The principle is three-tenths of the work is done by man, and the rest seven is determined by nature. That's the second step. Then the root will be sawed, clipped or polished. Different method will be employed according to the shape of root. The final step is to color or lacquer the products.
According to different usage, root carving can be mainly divided into two categories. The applied root carving is endowed with the practical function as well as the ornamental value. They can served as chairs, tables, sofas, screens, flower shelves and so on. In addition, there are ornamental root carvings. This kind of carving is only used as decoration, which takes a large portion of all root carvings. They are shaped into numerous animals, flowers and human figures.
Bamboo Crafts
By bamboo crafts, we usually mean bamboo-plaited crafts. Dating to more than 2,000 years ago, bamboo items have been indispensable daily items for Chinese people. They include tools, construction materials, furniture, basketry, and decorative items.
China is the home of about 1/3 of the world's 1300 or so species of bamboo. As the materials, they are strong, light, smooth, straight, and round. They have hard outer skins, and they are free from any pronounced taste or smell.
Bamboo is found abundantly and grows and increases rapidly. Only four years old bamboo is ready for use. For this reason, using bamboo as one kind of material instead of wood, is the GREEN idea of saving rain forest. Bamboo's potential as a multi-purpose product for the global marketplace and the ease with which it is grown and fashioned into salable merchandise.
Lantern
Started from the East Han Dynasty (25 A.D. -220 A.D.), Chinese Lantern reached its peak during Tang Dynasty (618 A.D. - 907 A.D.) and Song (960 A.D. -1279 A.D.) Dynasties. Originally, Chinese people hung lanterns in front of their doors to drive away evil spirits. As to today, the lantern has become a symbol of traditional Chinese culture, playing an important role in celebrations and ceremonies.
Four of the most famous styles of lanterns come from the capital Beijing in North China, and Suzhou in East China.
The best traditional Beijing palace lanterns require rosewood as the skeleton and traditional-patterned thin silk or glass as covering. Besides lighting function, the palace lanterns are also valuable collections of Chinese lantern collectors. Now they are hung in halls or other spacious rooms to add to the antique atmosphere. In contrast with Beijing palace lanterns, Suzhou-style lanterns usually have a rustic flavor. They boast a time-honored history and a delicate beauty. Early in the Song Dynasty, lanterns developed into an individual crafts industry in the area. Suzhou lanterns have various appearances, ranging from bird, flower, and fish to pavilion, terrace, tower and even human figures. Suzhou lanterns are famous for their rich color, refined processing, ingenious structure, exquisite sculpture and grand magnificence.
Bronze ware
The bronze wares were unique national treasures for China in ancient times for their impressive designs, classical decorative ornamentations, and wealth of inscriptions.
The ancient Chinese society fell into the Stone Tool Age and the Iron Tool Age. The earliest stone ware in China was found in 3,000 B.C. The Shang and Zhou dynasties ushered China into the height of the Bronze Age. During this period the making of bronze ware reached its zenith. After the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods China entered the Iron Tool Age.
Bronze is the alloy of copper and zinc or copper and lead that is bluish grey. The museums across China and some important museums outside China, have all collected Chinese bronze ware dating back to the Shang and Zhou dynasties. Some of them are part of the cultural heritage passed down through the generations, but most of them were dug up from underneath the earth.
In ancient China the making of bronze ware was dominated by the imperial families and aristocrats. And the possession of such wares was regarded as a status symbol. In comparison with counterparts in other parts of the world, the Chinese bronze ware stand out for their inscriptions which are regarded as major chapters in the Chinese history of calligraphy.
Silk
Silk is one of the China’s contributions to the world. China is the first country to manufacture and use silk. According to the legend, Lai Zu, wife of the Yellow Emperor, taught the ancient Chinese people the technique of sericulture. Since the ancient times, silk has been one of China’s exports. Chinese fine silks were exported during the Western Han Dynasty in the second century B.C.. A portion of the exports was shipped to Korean and Japan, but the majority was carried in camels’ back along the famous caravan route known as the ‘Silk Road’ to the Middle East, and eventually reaching Western Europe.
So far as texture and workmanship are concerned, there are four kinds of Chinese silk which can be ranged as the finest and most popular. They are made respectively in Jingsu, Hunan, Sichuan and Guangdong Provinces. After thousands of years of development and influenced by geographical conditions, local customs, art and culture, each of these silks has evolved a style of its own and some characteristics. Some favour fine composition, bright color and great varieties, and some lay stress on naturalness and follow the principle that the silk thread should go with the growth or development of the things or animals to be embroidered. With its unique texture, exquisite skills, and strong national style, Chinese silk has become more and more popular throughout the world.
Pottery
Yixing (pronounced Yee-shing) is a small city that has become famous due to a unique type of clay that is only found there. This unique clay is called Zisha. Zisha Clay is found in five different colors...red, yellow, green, black, and purple. It has been used in pottery for over 3,000 years. The properties of the clay make it the perfect vessel for brewing tea. With use, the teapot absorbs the flavors of the tea which enhances future batches. Zisha Clay Teapot should never be washed with soap and water, just rinse with water and allow to drip dry.
Weaving & Spinning
Weaving is an ancient textile art and craft that involves placing two sets of threads or yarn called the warp and weft of the loom and turning them into cloth. This cloth can be plain (in one color or a simple pattern), or it can be woven in decorative or artistic designs, including tapestries.
The majority of commercial fabrics, in the West, are woven on computer-controlled Jacquard looms. In the past, simpler fabrics were woven on other dobby looms and the Jacquard harness adaptation was reserved for more complex patterns. Some believe the efficiency of the Jacquard loom, and the Jacquard weaving process makes it more economical for mills to use them to weave all of their fabrics, regardless of the complexity of the design. However, an industrialist weaving large runs of simple plain weave fabric may need to be convinced of the logic of investing in Jacquard machines, when a much lower cost loom would suffice.
Hand weaving, along with hand spinning, is a popular craft. Weavers use wooden looms to create rugs, fabrics, and tapestries.
Fabric in which the warp and/or weft is tie-dyed before weaving is called ikat. Fabric decorated using a wax resist method is called batik.
Satin weaves, twill weaves, and plain weaves are the 3 basic types of weaving by which the majority of woven products are formed.
Spinning is an ancient textile art in which plant, animal or synthetic fibers are twisted together to form yarn (or thread, rope, or cable). For thousands of years, fiber was spun by hand using simple tools, the spindle and distaff. Only in the early medieval era did the spinning wheel increase the output of individual spinners, and mass-production only arose in the 18th century with the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution. Hand-spinning remains a popular handicraft.
Characteristics of spun yarn vary based on the material used, fiber length and alignment, quantity of fiber used, and degree of twist.
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