Recently in Folk Art Category
Kite flying is one of the most popular traditional sports in China. Kite, also called Feng Zheng in Chinese, originated in China and it has been praised as the forerunner of modern aero-crafts. Its history can be traced back to more than 2,000 years ago. Legend has it that, the first Chinese kites were made of wood and called Muyuan (wooden kites) by the famous architect and carpenter Lu Ban during the Spring and Autumn Period (770~476BC); after the invention of paper, kites began to be made of this new material called Zhiyuan (paper kites).
Since the Han Dynasty (206BC~220AD), kites were used for measuring and messages transmitting. During the Tang Dynasty (618~907), people fixed on kites some bamboo strips, which when high in the air, would vibrate and ring in the breeze like a zither (a stringed instrument). Since then, the popular Chinese name for kites has become Feng Zheng (wind zither). Kite flying became a recreational game during the Song Dynasty (960~1279) and was spread to Europe in the Yuan Dynasty (1271~1368). Gradually kite flying became a seasonal activity -- the main kite flying season occurs from Chinese New Year (usually in January or February) through Qingming (usually in April) because of favorable winds.
In about the 12th century, Chinese kites spread to the West, and the oriental and Western kite culture was formed after years of development. In this process, Chinese traditional culture integrated with the kite craft, and finally formed the kite culture with unique characteristics.
In some places, flying kites are believed to drive away melancholy and gloom. On the day of the Qingming Festival (when Chinese people pay respect to the dead), people fly the kite high and far, and when it is far enough, people usually cut off the line to free the kite. By this way, according to old sayings, all the melancholy and gloom that has accumulated during the year before will be driven away, and people can expect a better new year without worry of diseases.
People nowadays make colorful kites in the shapes of animals, birds, butterflies, fishes and centipedes. Some animal-shaped kites are designed so they can roll their eyes and flutter their wings. In addition to the traditional shapes, new types like human figures are added.
Beijingers are most famous for their kite flying hobby. Nowadays，kite flying has become a popular recreation far and wide in China. In recent years, kite flying has been popularized as a sports activity as well as entertainment. In 1983 a large-scale kite-flying competition was held in Tianjin. A "dragon-headed centipede" of a hundred sections, with a total length of a hundred meters, flown up by a squad of 5 or 6 young men of the Tianjin Fine Arts Factory, thrashed and danced about in the air.
In 1989, the International Kite League was established, headquartering Weifang in Shangdong Province. The well-known Weifang Kite Festival has become an annual feature in the country, drawing hundreds of participants each April from home and abroad.
The kite is mainly, but not only, a plaything. It has contributed to science and production. In 1782, Benjamin Franklin, a noted American scientist and statesman, studied lightning and thunder in the sky with the help of a kite and then invented the lightning rod. The British scientist, Dr. Needham, once described kites as an important scientific invention that spread to Europe as well the world from China in his book, A History of Chinas Science and Technology. The invention of the kite helped to arouse the dream of humankind to fly and led to the invention of the airplane.
A split watermelon with its seeds showing
This picture depicts two children breaking off a watermelon with their fingers and thumbs. The melon-seeds are showing, and the gaily* decorated basket nearby contains flat peaches and pomegranates*. As an ancient saying goes: "All senior officials are called "zi" which is homonymous with "zi", meaning "son" or "child". So to have many "zi" (sons) is a sign of many ministers or high officials in the family. All these show the yearning of the people of ancient times for a happy life.
Note:
"Zi" was an ancient title of respect for a learned or virtuous man.
Child and fish in the lotus pond
This is a picture showing a child swimming in a lotus pond and holding a fish fin in his mouth. Although the theme of the picture is also "to enjoy prosperity year after year" by way of homophones* ---- "lian" in "Lianhua" (lotus flower) stands for "lian" in "liannian" (successive years ) and "yu"(surplus*), it breaks away from the conventional* scene of a sitting boy holding a lotus and fish . This makes the scene closer to real life and child more lifelike.
Enjoying prosperity year after year
Here is a boy holding a lotus in his hand and a goldfish in his arms. "lian" in "lianhua" (lotus) stands for its homophone"lian" in "liannian" (successive years) and "yu" (fish) for its homophone "yu"(surplus). Taken together, "liannianyouyu" gives the meaning of "enjoying prosperity year after year" or "to have enough and to spare year after year".
Unicorn-trapping Purse
This is a play by CHEN Yan-qiu.
A wealthy family in Deng-Zhou was marrying off the daughter, Xue Xiang-Lin. To ensure the daughter would never be in need, the parents prepared a lot of properties with the daughter. A local tradition was to have a large purse, called "unicorn-trapping purse", to accompany the bride, hoping that she would have powerful and promising sons. Miss Xue was in a sad mood for she would leave her mother soon. And the mother filled the purse with jewlaries to make her daughter happy. A sedan chair carried the bride to her husband's home. On their way, it suddenly began to rain. The group went to the nearby Chun-Qiu Pagoda to avoid the rain. At the same time, there was another sedan chair and the accompanying people coming in the pagoda. The other bride, Zhao Shou-Zhen, turned to be from a poor family and so was her husband. During the stay in the pagoda, Miss Xue's maiden, Mei-Xiang, said some words that hurted the poor girl. And Miss Zhao knew she would face a hard life and the maiden's words made her began to sob. Miss Xue heared the sobing. The sedan chair had a round curtain and the bride usually did not see what outside world was. Now Miss Xue took a look outside and she asked her maiden to check what was going on. The maiden did not like to go to talk to the poor girl. Miss Xue got very angry and instead she asked a servant, Xue Liang, to see what was going on. When the servant informed her why the poor girl was crying, Miss Xue wanted to help her. Both of them were sad, for the poor girl because of her poverty and for Miss Xue because of her getting everything. But sitting in the sedan chair, Miss Xue had nothing handy but her jewlary purse. So showing her ladyness and generous, Miss Xue gave Miss Zhao her purse without revealing her name.
Six years passed. Miss Xue had lived happyly with her husband. They had got a son and the son was now 5 years old and was very like what she had been in her childhood. One day, they went to visit her parents. Then there suddenly was a flood which washed all the family's properties away. To escape the flood, the family was scattered. Miss Xue, accompanied by her life-time nanny only, escaped to Lai-Zhou and did not know where her husband, son and mother were. Her nanny luckyly got her a bowl of rice from a local relief site. She was very hungry but the food was in anyway not a comparable to what she used to have. So when someone asked for it she gave it him.
The nanny heard that a rich family, surnamed Lu, was looking for a young nanny for their son. Miss Xue was encouraged by her nanny to be interviewed. Miss Xue was then hired. The boy, Lu Tian-Lin, was making requirements just like Miss Xue's own son had done. This made her to miss her family and began to sob. Tian-Lin was playing a ball and throw it into a window on the second floor. Miss Xue had been informed in any case she was not permitted to enter that room. But the boy asked her insistently to get the ball back for him. She obeyed and entered that room. To her surprise, the room was arranged like a memorial hall with a purse hung on the wall which she recognized as the one she had given away in that pagoda. She faded. The boy ran to his mother for help.
Mrs Lu was very angry for Miss Xue had disobeyed her order. But she was also amazed by the happening so she began to query Miss Xue. When Mrs Lu found whom Miss Xue was she had her changed with new and gorgous addresses but Miss Xue did not know why.
The nanny found Miss Xue's husband, mother and son and led them to her. Her husband thought she might have done something bad so she was given good clothes. Miss Xue asked her mother to talk to the landlady to find out why. The landlady told them that she was the poor girl. She and her husband had used those in the purse to maintain a happy and wealthy life since their marriage. They were very grateful but they had not been able to locate who and where the giver was. They set the memorial room to express their appreciations.
First edition: March 11, 1997
Last revision: May 27, 1997
Copyright 1997 by Xu-Ming Wang
Ruse of Empty City
This is a traditional play. It is a very famous story from the Chinese novel The Romance of Three Kingdoms. The whole play consists of three parts: "Lost of Jie-Ting Pass", "Use of Empty City", and "Execution of Ma Su". The second part is the kernel and can also be performed alone. This is a popular play and has been performed by all famous opera masters. You will be amazed when you put those different styles together.
Lost of Jie-Ting Pass: Shu State Prime Minister Zhuge Liang ( Kong-Ming) was leading the army to fight with the state of Wei. One day, he held a meeting with his generals in West City, because SI-MA Yi and the Wei State army were coming to challenge them. Zhuge needed to send an army to defend the town of Jie-Ting. Zhuge asked which of his generals would be prepared for this mission. MA Su, a staff officer, recommended himself and pledged with his head. Rather reluctantly, Zhuge agreed but he also sent WANG Ping to assist MA Su and told them to camp the army somewhere near the water source. When the two officers and their army arrived at Jie-Ting, they found a hill near the town. MA Su intended to camp on top of the hill as this would give him an advantage over the enemy who would be at the foot of the hill. WANG Ping reminded MA that this was contrary to their orders and argued that the army should be stationed at the foot of the hill. MA Su insisted, so the two splited the army. MA Su camped at the top of hill and WANG Ping stationed at the foot. WANG also drawed a map of the situation and had it sent to Zhuge.
West City was an important traffic center. Zhuge had plotted his plan and sent all his armies out. He just left a few old solders with him since he had thought West City was safe. When he got the map, he immediately knew that Jie-Ting would be lost soon. Once the enemy took the Pass of Jie-Ting, it would be quite easy for the enemy to take West City and other towns. He immidiately sent out a messager to call General ZHAO Yun back whom he had sent to some place. Some time later the news of the lost of Jie-Ting came. SI-MA's army quickly marched on approaching West City.
Ruse of Empty City: Zhuge was in a very embarrassing situation. SI-MA's army was reported being nearer and nearer and his support was still far away. There was only one option for Zhuge to take, the use of empty city. Zhuge assembled his manpowers in West City. He told them to open the city gates wide and send them to clean the roads. The old men were puzzled but Zhuge told them not to worry and he had secretly distributed many many solders around to fight the upcoming battle. Zhuge himself went up the city wall with two of his service boys and began to play his favorite music there.
SI-MA's army had been informed that West City was empty. But when they came to the city, they got confused and dared not to enter the city. SI-MA could not make his mind from what he had just seen: a leisure Zhuge, a widely open gate, empty roads with only a few old solders as the dustmen. Zhuge told them that the city was empty and he had prepared to welcome the enermy. SI-MA was determined that there was a trap for his army since Zhuge had never in his life taken any risking plans. He replied Zhuge that no matter whether the city was empty or not, he was not to enter. SI-MA's army camped miles away outside West City.
General ZHAO Yun returned West City. The happy Zhuge sent Zhao to attack the enermy and he immediately retreated back to his State. SIMA was again informed by his spies that West City was empty. When he marched for the second time towards West City, he encountered ZHAO Yun and was defeaded. When he finally learnt what had happened, he realized about his weakness, and withdrew his army withdrawed from that area.
Execution of MA Su: MA Su and WANG Ping flee back to Shu State. WANG was brought in front of Zhuge. Zhuge critisized WANG for not obeying the command and punished him with a slashing. When MA Su was brought in front of Zhuge. Zhuge reminded him of his pledge and MA Su said he would take the consequences. Zhuge, with tears in his eyes, reminded him of his past misdeeds, and assured him that MA's family would be well cared after his execution. As MA was being executed, Zhuge began to cry. One of his general asked him whether he regreted about the execution, Zhuge replied no. He just remembered that the Late Emperor once told him that MA Su should not be relied upon, as his words often exceed his ability.
First edition: February 25, 1996
Revision: September 30, 1996, 5-6-2001
Edited by MLP: 5-10,2001
(C) Copyright 1996 Xu-Ming Wang
The Drunken Concubine
The story happened in Tang Dynasty around 745-755 AD. This is one of the masterpieces by Mei Lan-Fang. It is almost a one-person show. The story is quite simple. Mei had made this play famous by his vivid performance reflecting the concubine's disappointment, her drunken charming, and her intentional show-off of her beauty. There are many movements difficult to perform, including drinking a cup with the performer's teeth only and placing the cup on the tray by bending over backwards.
YANG Yu-Huan was Emperor Ming-Huang's favorite concubine. One evening the two had arranged to meet in a parvilion in the imperial gardens after the Emperor was off his duty. So YANG prepared a banquet and was sitting there waiting him. But the Emperor failed to his promise and went to see one of his other beautiful concubines. The two eunuchs, Gao Li-Shi and Pei Li-Shi, who were serving YANG, informed her of her humiliating position.
Furious and depressed by the news, YANG decided to have the banquit alone and ordered the eunuchs to serve the alcholic drink. YANG showed various stages of intoxication, her jealousy and bitterness, and her intention to forget all the unhappiness. She pretended at first that she was not drunk, but gradually was out of self-control. She scorned the eunuchs when they tried to help. She tried to stand up but was forced to lean on the table for support. When she tried to walk, her steps faltered and her legs were unsteady, and eventually had to be supported by her maids.
The two eunuchs were feeling sad and feared that she might ask for more alcholic drinks. They felt they ought to refuse to serve more but they couldn't. To quiet YANG, the eunuchs told her that the Emperor had arrived. When she discovered that the Emperor was not coming she became angry again. She ordered one of the eunuchs to go and commanded the Emperor to drink with her. When the eunuch refused to do such she got his face slapped. Taking off the eunuch's hat she placed it on her own head and pretended to walk like a man. Then she throwed it at the eunuch.
The eunuchs gradually persude her to return to her chambers, and she finally agreed and staggered away assisted by her maids.
First edition: February 26, 1996
Last revision: February 27, 1996
Maintained by Xu-Ming Wang
Fifteen Strings of Coppers
This is a Kunqü Opera story. A traditional play.
One night a shop-keeper, YOU Hu-Lu, went home drunk after meeting his friends in a pub. He brought with him fifteen strings of coppers which were the debt he just had collected. When asked where the money came from he made fun of his young wife by telling her that he had sold her to someone. His wife got frightened, escaped to her parents for help when YOU fell sleep on the table, and left the door open and the lamp on. At midnight, a gambler, LOU A-Shu, dying for money sneaked in. YOU waked up when LOU was about to steal his coppers. LOU killed YOU and took his money. The next day, YOU's neighbors and friends found YOU dead in his home/shop and his wife was absent. So they chased all the way to the direction of YOU's parents-in-law's. YOU's in-laws lived in a distant village. In the old time the feet of Chinese ladies were fiercely wrapped to keep small since their childhood, and thus they could not run or walk quickly. By noon YOU's wife was still in half-way. The hot sun made her exhausted and sweaty. So she took a rest at the roadside. A young man came up going in the same direction as she did. After exchanging a few words, they found they were aiming for the same destination. The young man helped her and they went together.
YOU's friends caught up with them. They accused the two adultery and murdered YOU. The young man happened to have fifteen strings of coppers with him. The two were brought to the court and then were sentenced to death. The death penalty had to be approved by the top legal administration of the State. While waiting for the execution, somehow LOU's crime was discovered. Finally, LOU was executed and the two innocents got they freedom.
First edition: December 3, 1995
Last revision: February 3, 1996
Copyright 1995-1996 by Xu-Ming Wang
The Story of the White Snake
This is a story adopted from a classical Chinese novel. But the story in the play is totally a different account to the origin novel. This is a traditional play but may have different arias with different performing styles.
Once upon a time in the Mountain E-Mei, there were White Snake and Black Snake. White Snake changed into a very beautiful girl, named BAI Su-Zheng (Qing Yi). Black Snake also became a lovely maid, named Xiao Qing (Wu Dan). They came to West Lake of Hang Zhou (Hangchow) for a visit. They were attracted by the beauty of the scene. There over the Duan-Qiao bridge came a young man named XU Xian (Xiao Sheng). BAI immediately fell into an unrequited love. To help her sister, Xiao Qing set a trick to let it rain and they took a tree as shelter. XU Xian opened his umbrella and came near. When he saw them, he offered his umbrella and asked them where they lived. On a quick action, Xiao Qing told him they lived somewhere near West Lake. A boat was then in sight. XU Xian called, paid the boatman and asked him to ship the two ladies to their destination and himself home. He lived with his sister's family. On the boat, they talked a little. BAI Su-Zheng began to know XU Xian a little more. The rain gradually stopped. When the boat made its first stop, Xiao Qing made it rained again. So XU Xian told them to keep the umbrella and he would take it back next day. Xiao Qing told XU that nearby there was a red mansion, which was their home. Next day, BAI made a red mansion by her magic. XU went there as promised. Having him seated, Xiao Qing made him and BAI some tea. They exchanged a few sentences. And Xiao Qing asked XU whether he had married. When receiving a negative reply, Xiao Qing told him that BAI was also unmarried and suggested they two got married. When the three-attendee wedding ceremony was on, the Abbot, named Fa Hai, of a remote Buddhist temple, Jin Shan (Golden Mountain) Temple, sensed something and then found what was going on. He pledged to capture the white snake.
After the marriage, the three of them moved to Zhen Jiang, a city on the Yangtse River where BAI provided her husband with a medicine shop. She used her magical powers so that all medicines became especially potent, and the business in consequence prospered exceedingly. Fa Hai found Xu Xian there and warned that his wife was a snake. He suggested Xu a way to find her real self, a festival alcohol drink for the September 9th Day. September 9th was crucial for the two snakes. There would be a moment when they had to change back to their real selves. Xiao Qing suggested to BAI that they both went back to Mountain E-Mei for the day. BAI did not want Xu sense any unusualness. She believed that her magic power could prevent her from the changing and told Xiao Qing to go alone. Xu Xian bought the festival alcohol to celebrate the day and asked BAI to drink with him. Did not want to disappoint her husband and thought she still could control herself, she agreed and finished a cup. But XU asked her a second cup. The second cup made her feel awful. She rushed to the bedroom and warned XU did not get in. Xu Xian saw her in her old form in the bed, and simply just died of fright. When Xiao Qing came back, she waked BAI up. Then risking her life, White Snake went to steal the glossy ganoderma, which was heavily guarded. Moved by her brave and true love, the owner of the drug released her and gave her the drug.
The life of Xu Xian was restored. He suddenly remembered what the Abbot said to him. Recovered from the illness, XU Xian went to the Temple. To separate him from his wife, Fa Hai forced him to become a monk. BAI, along with Xiao Qing, chased to Jin Shan Temple and begged Fa Hai to let her husband go but got refused. Then in anger, she gathered together a great army of underwater creatures to attack the monastery and used water to submerge the temple. Fa Hai had a magic outer vestment, which made the mountain to grow so that the waterlevel was kept under the temple. Fa Hai also had the magic to command heavenly solders. BAI had been pregnant. She could not fight the battle any longer.
BAI and Xiao Qing fled to West Lake to where they first met Xu Xian. Xiao Qing was very angry at Xu for his unfaithfulness and pledged to kill him when she saw him. XU was secretly released by a young monk when the two sides were fighting and happened to come to the same place. When they met him, Xiao Qing was for attacking him with her sword, but BAI held her back and told XU the truth. With fully understanding each other, they went home.
Fa Hai went to the heaven and asked the heaven emperor to help him. A powerful fighter with a magic lantern was commanded to assist Fa Hai. BAI was given birth to a son. One day, XU Xian went to buy a hat for his son. The hat was actually the lantern, which made BAI Su-Zheng physically under the spell of the fighter. The White Snake was then imprisoned under the Thunder Peak Pagoda by West Lake. Black Snake fled to her original place and practiced her magic. Several years later her magic was strong enough to take the revenge. She managed to destroy the Pagoda and rescued White Snake. White Snake reunited with her husband and her son. Black Snake then defeated Fa Hai and had him swallowed by a crab. They live together happily forever.
First edition: January 31, 1996
Last revision: September 30, 1996
Copyright 1996 by Xu-Ming Wang
Stories in Beijing Opera covers the whole history of China. Some of them are from the history book, but most were adopted from the literature and classical novels, which were best known among the public but may not be an accurate account of history.
Orphan of Zhao Family
Historical story. This play was written after the founding of the people's republic. It was based on a traditional Beijing Opera play "Hunting the orphan, saving the orphan" and a play in Shaanxi Opera (Qing3 Qiang1) "Orphan of Zhao Family". The main characters include three of the four Beijing Opera character categories.
Photo: Cheng Yin played by famous Beijing Opera master Ma Lian-Liang.
Jin State Emperor favored assistant Tu An-Ku, who built the emperor a luxury garden with a tower. On the completion of the garden, the Emperor arranged a banquet to enjoy himself on the tower, which can overview the capital. Tu suggested a game to please the Emperor. They slingshot the people under their view. Whoever hit the head won, or would be "punished" to drink liquor. Prime Minister Zhao Dong came to persuade the Emperor not doing so to lose his subjects' support and criticized Tu on his wrong do.
Tu hated Zhao and ordered one of his servants to assassinate Zhao. The assassin was deeply moved by Zhao's loyalty to the Emperor when he was about to act, and cut his own throat. Zhao presented the incident to the Emperor. Tu and Zhao criticized each other over the incident. The Emperor said he had a dog, a tribute by a foreign state, which could distinguish bad assistant from the good. The dog bit Zhao. Zhao ran out for life. Tu suggested the Emperor to kill Zhao's family.
All Zhao's family members and servants of a total 300 people were killed. Zhao's daughter-in-law, Princess Zhuang_Ji, was the sister of the Emperor, who was excluded from the massacre and ordered to move into a palace. The Princess was pregnant and her child was to be killed when the birth was given. In order to save the blood of Zhao, the Princess figured out a solution with one of Zhao's friends, Cheng Yin.
Upon the birth of her son, the Princess made a public call that she caught a disease that required a doctor with specific skills. Cheng came to answer the call and was allowed to go into the palace, which was guarded by militia under Tu's command. Cheng hid the sleeping orphan in his medical box when he went out the palace. The guard found the baby but did not like the only descendent of a good man to be killed. So he let Cheng leave and killed himself.
Tu learned the orphan had been out of the palace. He ordered to kill all the babies in the state, who were born on the same date as the orphan. Cheng then visited his friend, Gong-Sun Chu-Jiu and asked Gong-Sun to report to Tu. Cheng had a baby son who was about the same as the orphan. He was going to sacrifice him and his son to save the orphan and other babies, and asked Gong-Sun to bring up the orphan. Gong-Sun was old so he asked Cheng to take care of the orphan and he take Cheng's role.
Cheng reported to Tu so that Cheng's own son and Gong-Sun were killed by Tu. To protect the orphan more efficiently, Cheng asked Tu to take the orphan as his adoptive son. Cheng did not tell anyone about the truth. Even the Princess thought he did give out the orphan.
Fifteen years later. The orphan became a well-educated young man with excellent martial skills. The Emperor had died and new emperor went to the throne. General Wei Jiang, after fifteen years of guarding the state border, came back capital. Learning the tragedy of Zhao's family and the orphan, he invited Cheng to his home. The General pretended to ask Cheng to send good words to Tu for him. Cheng did not response positively. The General got very angry, criticized Cheng's betray of friends and slashed Cheng heavily. Cheng then dared to speak out the truth. The General apologized to Cheng. And they agreed on a way to catch Tu.
Cheng drew cartoons of the happening fifteen years ago. He was in tear for his own son and the misunderstanding to him of such a long time. The orphan, Cheng Wu (Zhao Wu), was shown the cartoons and learned who he was. Cheng set a banquet for Tu. When Tu arrived, he found the General and the Princess were there, too. Tu ordered the orphan, his adoptive son, to arrest the General and the Princess. The orphan told Tu the truth and killed Tu.
First edition: November 11, 1995
Last revision: April 2, 1997
Copyright 1995-1997 by Xu-Ming Wang
Embroidery, a folk art with a long tradition, occupies an important position in the history of Chinese arts and crafts. It is, in its long development, inseparable from silkworm-raising and silk-reeling and weaving.
China is the first country in the world that discovered the use of silk. Silkworms were domesticated as early as 5000 years ago. The production of silk thread and fabrics gave rise to the art of embroidery. According to the classical Shangshu(or Book of History), the "regulations on costumes" of 4000 years ago stipulated among other things "dresses and skirts with designs and embroideries". This is evidence that embroidery had become an established art by that remote time.
In 1958 a piece of silk was found in a tomb of the state of Chu of the Warring Sates Period (475-221B.C). It is embroidered with a dragon-and-phoenix design. More than 2000 years old, it is the earliest piece of Chinese embroidery ever unearthed.
The art became widespread during the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-220 A.D.); many embroidered finds date back to that period.
Today, silk embroidery is practised nearly all over China. The best commercial products, it is generally agreed, come from four provinces: Jiangsu (notably Suzhou), Hunan, Sichuan and Guangdong, each with its distinctive features.
Embroidered works have become highly complex and exquisite today. Take the double-face embroidered "Cat", representative work of Suzhou embroidery, for
example, the artist splits the hair-thin coloured silk thread into filaments-half, quarter 1/12 or even 1/48 of its original thickness- and uses these in embroidering concealing in the process the thousands of ends and joints and making them disappear as if by magic. The finished work is a cute and mischievous-looking cat on both sides of the groundwork. The most difficult part of the job is the eyes of the cat. To give them lustre and life, silk filaments of more than 20 colours or shades have to be used.
Recently, on the basis of two-face embroidery have developed further innovations- the same design on both sides in different colours, and totally different patterns on the two faces of the same groundwork. It seems that possibilities hitherto unknown to the art may yet be explored.
Many countries have jade ware culture, but none of them has as long a history as China has. China's jade ware culture has undergone a long process of development from the New Stone Age 10,000 years ago to the present.
Jade Pendant
The earliest jadeware found in China was a piece of serpentine stoneware unearthed in the site of the lmmortal Cave in Haicheng of Liaoning Province dating back to the New Stone Age, more than 12,000 years ago. The second was a small hanging jade article excavated in the site of Hemudu in Zhejiang Province dating back more than 7,000 years. Jadeware in that period was mainly used for personal decoration. A large number of exquisite jade objects were produced 4,000 years ago. Jadeware at that time was mainly used for witchcraft and as an emblem of privileges.
Jade Cup in Goat Shape
During the Shang Dynasty (B.C 1600-B.C 1066,) craftsmen used metal tools to make new progress in jadeware models and sculpture. Round jade articles increased in number and jadeware was often given as gifts.
The jade-carving technique developed fast in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods (B.C 770-B.C 221.) The Spring and Autumn period was known for its well- carved and exquisite jadeware. The coherent and undulating patterns of dragon, phoenix and Panli (a figure of Chinese folklore) on the jade decorations are still treasured today.
Jade "Pine and Crane" Group (Qing)
In the periods of the Qin and Han dynasties (B.C221-A.D220), jadeware became more practical and objects such as jade tablets fell out of use. At that time, people began to believe in the power of jadeware to increase longevity. They thought they would live forever like gods if they had jadeware. Therefore, the practice of burying the dead with jadeware became common. Invaluable jade figures and clothes sewn with gold threads have been found in tombs dating back to the Han dynasty.
During the periods of the Three Kingdoms (A.D220-280) to Song and Yuan dynasties (A.D 960-1368), there was no great development in the jade-carving technique. This changed in the Ming Dynasty when many still famous craftsmen emerged. White jade vessels with gold holders and white jade bowls with gold covers, which were unearthed in the Ming Tombs, reflected the dynasty's peak level in jade carving. The jadeware technique peaked in the Qing Dynasty ( A.D 1644-1911) under the advocacy of Emperor Qianlong .
The patterns of China's jadeware have rich connotations showing strong auspicious colours. Bats and gourds were often used as a basis for more than 100 patterns because the Chinese words (bat and gord) sound like "good fortune" in the Chinese language. When a bat was carved on an ancient coin with a hole, it meant fortune was at hand. When many bats were put with birthday peaches, they referred to fortune and longevity. If bats were mixed with sika, birthday peaches and magpies, they also had a good meaning. All these reflected the ancient Chinese people's yearning for a happy life and revealed the essence of China's traditional culture.
Jade in China is varied and can be divided into two categories: hard and soft. Good materials provide strong basics for jadeware carving, but the value of a jade object depends on the skills and reputation of craftsmen, the dates of carving, peculiar modelling and the owner's status. Certainly, different people will have various views on the value of the same jade object. It is difficult to have a unanimous standard. Due to the high value of ancient jadeware, there is an equally long tradition of fake jadeware, which looks much like the real thing. Jadeware collectors should be careful and seek the opinions of professionals before making any major purchases.
