Fengxiang Clay Sculpture 泥塑
subject: Clay, Mud, Sculpture
description: 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.
date: Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 BC)
format: Mud-colour, Sticky texture (at first)
type: Craft

White Porcelain 白瓷
subject: Plain, Tang porcelain, Clay, Bottle
description: 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.
date: Sui Dynasty (581-618 AD)
relation: White Porcelain, Celadon, Enamel Painted Porcelain, Black Porcelain
format: Hard, Smooth, White
type: Craft

Blue and White Porcelain 青花瓷
subject: Pottery, Porcelain, Folk art
description: 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).
source: White Porcelain
date: Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD)
relation: White Porcelain, Celadon, Enamel Painted Porcelain, Black Porcelain
format: Hard, Smooth, Blue, White
type: Craft

Celadon 青瓷
subject: Green, Porcelain, Pottery
description: 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).
date: Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC) & Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 BC)
relation: White Porcelain, Blue and White Porcelain, Black Porcelain, Enamel Painted Porcelain
format: Smooth texture
type: Craft

Black Porcelain 黑瓷
subject: Black Colour, Pottery, Porcelain
description: 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.
date: Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC)
relation: Enamel Painted Porcelain, Celadon, Blue and White Porcelain, White Porcelain
format: Hard, Smooth, Black
type: craft

Enamel Painted Porcelain 琺瑯彩繪瓷 （景泰藍）
subject: Porcelain, Colour, Pattern
description: 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.
source: Ordinary Chinese Porcelain
date: Qing Dynasty (1644-1912 AD)
relation: White Porcelain, Blue and White Porcelain, Black Porcelain, Celadon
format: Hard, Smooth, Colourful
type: Craft

Marionette Puppetry 木偶
subject: Wood, Strings, Theatre, Performance
description: 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.
date: Han Dynasty (202 BC - 220 AD)
contributor: China Puppet Theater, Shichahai Shadow Art Performance Hotel, The Shanghai Puppet Theater
relation: Shadow Puppetry
format: Height: 60 cm - 80 cm
type: Craft

Hairy Monkey 毛猴
subject: Insect Toy, Folk culture
description: The Hairy Monkey was probably invented in Beijing during the Qing Dynasty. The most common Hairy Monkey sculptures feature dancing or posturing monkeys.
date: Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD)
format: Small, Furry
type: Craft

Sky Lantern 天燈
subject: Sky, Lantern, Festival, Wishes and Blessings
description: 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.
creator: Zhuge Liang
date: Three-kingdoms Period (220 AD - 280 AD)
format: Thin paper shell 30 cm to 200 cm, Opening at the bottom.
type: Craft

Chinese Timber-framed Structures 木結構建築
subject: Architecture, Lifestyle, Decoration
description: 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.
date: Xia Dynasty (2000-1500 BC)
format: Wooden texture, Colourful, Decorated
type: Craft