China boasts a wide variety of arts and crafts renowned for
excellent workmanship. Under the protection of the Chinese
government this craftsmanship has been handed down to the present
day and many craft objects are sold to an appreciative overseas
market.
Special arts and crafts involve the use of precious or special
materials, combined with elaborate designs and processes to produce
works of great elegance. Jade carvers, taking advantage of the
natural lines, luster and colors of their jadestone raw material,
ingeniously match the form of the craft-piece to that of the jade,
fully displaying the glory of nature. Jingtai cloisonnz enamel,
well known at home and abroad, gets its name from the fine blue
glaze produced during the Jingtai reign of the Ming Dynasty. Inlaid
with copper strip, gilded and silvered, the magnificent products
include bottles, bowls and trophy cups.
In terms of technique, Chinese folk arts are categorized into
cutting, bundling, plaiting, knitting, embroidering, carving,
molding and painting. They have strong local flavors and ethnic
styles.
