Chinese folk craft

3 min read

Crafts embody the blending of art and life, aesthetics and practicality. Ceramics, porcelain, brocades, and lacquerware represent the epitome of Chinese crafts. These and other Chinese crafts have spread throughout Asia, Africa, and Europe for many ages.

The Chinese ancestors started to make fired earthenware pottery as early as 10,000 yearsago, during the Neolithic Age. Pottery production made new strides during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), with the invention of a representative style of glazed pottery known as Tang tri-colored ceramics(Tang San Cai). Tang tri-colored ceramics used yellow, green, and white glazes to create beautiful and vital works of art, including funerary objects such as figures of camels, horses, and people. Many of these human figures had central Asian features and clothing, reflecting the extensive cultural exchange that took place during this time.

Porcelain stoneware merges practicality and enjoyment, technology and art. Also knownas chinaware, porcelain has become synonymous with China, the land where it was first invented. An early form of fired porcelain was first developed during the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046BC), based on the techniques of earthenware pottery production. Porcelainproduction techniques matured during the Eastern Han Dynasty(25-220 AD), and artists who specialized in making porcelain appeared. By the time of the Song Dynasty (960-1276 AD), porcelain making was flourishing as never before. The five most famous manufacturing centers of the time were Junyao, Geyao, Guanyao, Ruyao and Dingyao, known collectively as the”Five Kilns.”Jingdezhen in Jiangxi Province also became an important center of porcelain production during this time. Jingdezhen was known during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties(1271-1911AD) as the”porcelain capital”of China, and was famous for its blue and white glazed porcelain.

China, with the world’s oldest tradition of sericulture and silk production, was known in classical Europe as the”silk country.”Among the artifacts found in the Mawangdui tombs at Changsha, Hunan Province was a piece of undyed silk fabric 160 cm long and weighing 49 grams, dating from the Western Han Dynasty(202 BC-9 AD). Ancient Chinese artisans combined standard weaving techniques with the jacquard weaving method, using gold, silver, and colored silk threads to create brocade textiles featuring beautiful raised patterns. Many patterns appear in brocades, including flowers and birds, mountain and water landscapes, and various auspicious figures. Cloud-patterned brocade, Sichuan brocade, and Song brocade are the three main types of brocade produced by China’s majority Han people. The brocades of the Dai and Zhuang ethnic groups of southwest China are also widely renowned.

Lacquerware was an important invention of ancient China. Lacquerware resists corrosion,holds heat，and withstands acid.Before porcelain became prevalent，lacquerware was commonly used in daily life and for funerary objects.It was also used to symbolize the status of rulers.Lacquerware was manufactured by applying different colors of lacquer to wooden vessels，with tung oil sometimes added to the lacquer to make the finished product glossier.

Production of lacquerware was already quite advanced by the Warring States Period（475-221BC）.Lacquerware vessels were often engraved with various designs，embossed with gold leaf，or inlaid with precious stones.During the Han Dynasty（202 BC-220 AD），lacquerware production entered its golden age，utilizing meticulous manufacturing procedures.Some large screens，bright，colorful，and delicately patterned，required thousands of workers to produce.

Lacquerware became increasingly colorful and lustrous and its designs more refined，with numerous production techniques spreading to Japan.

China currently has numerous specialized crafts institutes that provide training in various areas.Contemporary artisans are systematically studying and adapting ancient Chinese crafts，developing new materials and techniques，and expanding their practical applications in areas including architecture and the decorative arts.