Clay sculpture has been handed down among the people for about three thousand years. These sculptures are made from the special clay called “Ban Ban Tu,” found only in Fengxiang County, northwest of Xi’an.
In Lin cheng, Nei qiu and Xing tai, in northern Hebei, a hard, white porcelain, called Xing porcelain, gained fame and became the standard Tang porcelain. White porcelain was pottery created with a plain white glaze. It began mature production during the Sui Dynasty (581-618 AD). White porcelain was highly praised for its minimalistic design. It was commonly used for everyday items.
White Porcelain, Celadon, Enamel Painted Porcelain, Black Porcelain
Blue and white porcelain is pottery with a white base and treated with a vibrant blue glaze. It began in the Tang Dynasty (618AD-907 AD) when cobalt started to be imported from Persia. Blue and white porcelain was often portrayed works of the blue wolf and the fallow doe, mythical ancestors of Mongolia, during the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368 AD).
Celadon was a type of pottery finished off with a pale grayish-green glaze. To give off this effect, the ceramic would be applied with liquified clay rich in iron before being heated up. The iron in the clay would oxidize to unravel its distinct colour. Celadon dates back to the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC) and the Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 BC).
Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC) & Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 BC)
White Porcelain, Blue and White Porcelain, Black Porcelain, Enamel Painted Porcelain
Black porcelain is a type of pottery with a pure black base which was achieved by using a black iron glaze. It started during the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC) and was for ordinary use.
Enamel Painted Porcelain, Celadon, Blue and White Porcelain, White Porcelain
Enamel Painted Porcelain was pottery that featured unique techniques such as overglaze painting and cloisonné (embedding of minerals). It emerged during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912 AD) which dubbed it as Qing porcelain. The Qing imperial court would order custom-made pieces of enamel painted porcelain.
White Porcelain, Blue and White Porcelain, Black Porcelain, Celadon
Marionettes on strings or wire like the old time Pinocchio or as in the picture to the right were once popular in the China before the advent of motion pictures. Puppet art is a medium of performance with puppets. How is the puppet produced? It is inconclusive. The Yinxu in Anyang, Henan Province, unearthed the slave Tao Xun (the Shang Dynasty, the first 16th century before the first 16th century), and the Spring and Autumn Period, the Warring States Period had a raft. The music, songs and genres excavated from the Western Han Tombs in Mawangdui, Changsha, have made great progress in craftsmanship, variety and modeling.
China Puppet Theater, Shichahai Shadow Art Performance Hotel, The Shanghai Puppet Theater
The Hairy Monkey was probably invented in Beijing during the Qing Dynasty. The most common Hairy Monkey sculptures feature dancing or posturing monkeys.
Sky, Lantern, Festival, Wishes and Blessings
A sky lantern, also known as Kongming lantern, is a small hot air balloon made of paper, with an opening at the bottom where a small fire is suspended.
Thin paper shell 30 cm to 200 cm, Opening at the bottom.
Standing as distinctive symbols of Chinese architectural culture, timber-framed structures are found throughout the country. The wooden components such as the columns, beams, purlins, lintel and bracket sets are connected by tenon joints in a flexible, earthquake-resistant way.