May 29, 2007
The craft of making painted clay-figurines of Fengxiang has a recorded history of more than 3,000 years.
The images of clay figurines typically included flowers, birds, fish, insects, as well as auspicious birds and beasts, reflecting cultural characteristics of ancient China. The figurines are painted with such bright colors and traditionally each color has a special meaning. Green represents longevity; red means a flourishing year. Also each design painted has meaning: pomegranate represents happiness and prospers offspring; butterfly brings good fortune; peony represents fortune and luck. (more…)
May 10, 2007
Batik is a method of producing colored designs on textiles by dyeing them, having first applied wax to the parts to be left undyed.
China has been using this method since Qin dynasty, some 2000 years ago. Batiks were especially appreciated by ethnic groups in Southwest China. And this method became very popular during Tang dynasty (618 AD – 907 AD). Some ancient batik items can be seen in museums around China. (more…)
Paper-cut is a traditional art in China which has been making its way along the route of the long history of paper. The kind of art went after the invention of paper in Han Dynasty (25-220), once became one of the main form of the arts, and was popular to the people of the time. Since paper is not suitable conserve for long time, only few works of paper-cuts have left. The earliest paper-cuts in China can be traced back to the period known as Northern and Southern Dynasties (386-581).
Paper-cut is a kind of engraving art, which is made of paper. The main tool for paper cutting is scissors. Once they are owned by a master of paper cutting, they will become so supernatural that the paper-cuts beyond imagination flow out of his/her hands in the chattering of a common pair of scissors. Another tool for paper-cut is engraving knives which are necessary to enhance a sharpened effect or to make a delicate job. (more…)
