Sugar Painting 糖畫
Painting, Drawing, Folk art
Hot liquid sugar is used to make two-dimensional art and solidifies after cooling down.
Chen Zi'ang (陳子昂)
Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) / Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD)
Flat
Craft
Chinese Calligraphy 書法
Hand writing, Folk culture, Art
Chinese Calligraphy is a traditional form of writing characters from the Chinese language through the use of ink and a brush. It is a tradition that is rooted in China through centuries of practice. It is an art of turning Chinese characters into images through pressure and speed variations of the pointed Chinese brush.
Cheng Miao
Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD).
Flat
Craft
Chinese Chess 象棋棋子
Pawns, Chess, Game
The original chess was invented in China, right around 200 B.C., by a military commander named Hán Xin ("Hahn Sheen").
Hán Xin ("Hahn Sheen")
~200 BC
Small, Circular Disks
Craft
Ink Brush 毛筆
Calligraphy, Writing
Ink brushes were used for calligraphy. It is believed that the ink brush was invented around Zhou Dynasty (1046 BC - 256 BC). The hairs of a common ink brush would be made out of goat, rabbit, mouse, pig, buffalo, wolf or Siberian weasel. To produce different brushstrokes, qualities such as hair length, thickness and texture would vary in different ink brushes.
Meng Tian
Zhou Dynasty (1046 BC - 256 BC)
Hand-size
Craft
Chinese Kites 風箏
Entertainment, Folk art, Decoration
These kites are delicately made of paper and bamboo have numerous shapes such as swallow, centipede, butterfly etc. Regarded as an artistic marvel, the kite makers' skills in both painting and in the design of the kites' flexible flying movement are well renowned.
Mozi, Lu Ban
Zhou Dynasty (1046 BC – 256 BC)
Flat, Colourful
Craft
Terracotta Army 兵馬俑
Ceramic, Funeral, War
The Terracotta Army (also known as the "Terracotta Warriors") is a massive collection of terracotta sculpture consisting of 8,000 clay warriors and horses which were discovered in 1974 next to the mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, Qin Shi Huangdi, who died in 210 BC, in Shaanxi province, China.
Qin Shi Huangdi
Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC)
Height: 184-197cm (6ft-6ft 5in)
Craft
Chinese Silk 絲綢
Clothes, Silkworms
A silkworm produces 1000 meters (3280 feet) of silk thread in its lifespan of just 28 days and is of great value. Major local silk products in China are Shu, Yun, Song Brocade and brocades by ethnic minorities such as the Zhuang and the Dong peoples are well renowned.
The wife of the Yellow Emperor Huangdi
Prior Xia Dynasty (3630 BC)
Flat, Sheet
Craft
Sky Lantern 天燈
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.
Zhuge Liang
Three-kingdoms Period (220 AD - 280 AD)
Thin paper shell 30 cm to 200 cm, Opening at the bottom.
Craft
Cuju 蹴鞠
Sports, Entertainment
“Cu” means to kick, “ju” refers to a type of leather ball filled with feathers, and Cuju means "kick the ball with foot". The Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD), Cuju was not only the recreational activity of the general public, but also an important means of military training. At the same time, cuju games were made more uniform with the establishment of rules.
Han Dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD)
Chinese Shuttlecock
Fist-sized ball
Craft
Ink Slab 硯
Calligraphy
Ink slabs originated from the grinding implements used in primitive Chinese society to grind pigment on stone. There is a lot of archeological evidence to show that ancient Chinese used ink slabs for grinding ink. A stone ink slab was found in a 5,000-year-old archaeological site in Jiazhai,Shanxi Province. In the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), ink slabs were widely used as writing utensils.
Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD)
Flat, Circular