Folk Arts
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The Kite
The kite,a Chinese invention,has been praised as the forerunner of the modern aeroplane.In the pavilion of aircraft of the National Aeronauties and Space Museum,Washington D.C.,a plaque says,the earliest aircraft are the kites and missiles of China....
Eggshell China
A gem of Chinese ceramics,eggshell china is remarkable first of all for its extraordingary thinness.Yet it is appreciated also because it is spotlessly white,translucent,and sonorous when tapped.It is made mainly into bowls,vases,cups,lampshades and...
Cloisonne
Cloisonne,in which China excels,is known as jingtailan in the country.It first appeared toward the end of the Yuan Dynasty in the mid-14th century,flourished and reached its peak of development during the reign of the Ming emperor Jingtai(1450-1457)....
Paper Cuts
The making of paper-cuts is another popular folk art in China.A piece of paper can be turned in the hands of an srtisan,with the help of a knife or a pair of scissors,into any of a wide variety of patterns--landscapes,flowers,birds,animals and human...
Fancy Lanterns
Fancy lanterns,a special handicraft product of Chinese tradition,are widely used for decorations in the country on festivals and holidays,on weddings and other personal celebrations. On the whole,they consist of a frame made of metal wire or bamboo...
Firecrackers
The sound of firecrackers is a distinctive feature on Chinese festivals and joyous personal occasions. Firecrackers are called by various names at different times and in different parts of the country.At the very beginning,crackers were used to scar...
Basketwork on Porcelain
This is a national art with a tradition of barely 100 years.It is very fine basketwork woven with thread-like bamboo strips round a porcelain vessel as the body.If the latter is compared to a beauty,the basket will be her elegant and close-fitting dr...
Porcelain of Jingdezhen
Jingdezhen,formerly spelt Ching Teh Chen and known as theCeramics Metropolisof China,is a synonym for Chinese porcelain. Variably called Xinping or Changnanzhen in history,it is situated in the northeastern part of Jiangxi Province in a small basin r...
Lacquerware
Lacquer is a natural substance obtained from the lacquer tree which has its home in China,a country still leading the world in lacquer resources.Much of the country is suitable for growing the tree,but most of the output comes from five provinces--S...
Butter Sculpture
There is a special custom,among the Tibetans in Qinghai and Tibet,of making butter sculptures in winter.It is an art of moulding butter into various forms--human figures,flowers,fancy buildings,birds and beasts--to present certain scenes or depict p...