Chinese Crafts — Forms, Types, Characteristics, and Artworks

Chinese crafts are manifestations of refinement, innovation, pragmatism, and aesthetics.

The awe-inspiring sculptures, elegant ceramics, timeless bronze wares, delicate gold filigree, exquisite paper art crafts, and functional woven artworks—every piece encapsulates millennia of tradition and cultural significance.

Sculpture

Ware

Chinese Sculpture: Marvels in Stone and Bronze

Characteristics

Ancient Chinese barely have sculptures of famous figures.

The reason is that in ancient times, portrait statues (mainly enslaved people or servants) replaced the Human Sacrifice set to serve the deceased master. Therefore, nobles and scholars wouldn’t be made into statues.

Some influential apotheosis historical figures, such as Confucius and Lao Zi, were worshiped in specialized temples.

Have been significantly influenced by Traditional Chinese Painting.

Ancient sculptors in China were mainly low-status artisans or manual workers who followed the instructions of painters or designers.

Unlike today, sculptors are influential, respectful artists, just as people working in other art forms.

Function

Ancient Chinese sculptures were mainly used in mausoleums, religion, and folklore.

Mausoleum Sculptures, such as the Terra Cotta Warriors of Emperor Qin Shi Huang (259 BC — 210 BC), were designed to serve the decedent in the other world.

Therefore, the common ones were soldiers, servants, and valuable animals.

Bronze Carriage in Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum — Half Size of the Real Chariot

Religion Sculptures are of great artsy value in Chinese culture. Famous religious sculptures are those in grottoes and temples.

Folklore Sculptures are those in people’s daily lives, such as stone guardian lions, decorative crafts, etc.

Material

From the Neolithic era to today, many materials have been used in traditional Chinese sculptures, such as stone, bronze, jade, wood, bamboo, pottery clay, lacquer, and dough.

Ware: A Journey Through Artistry and Tradition

Traditional Chinese vessels had some basic functions: funeral or worship ceremony ware, important etiquette, daily use, and decoration.

Color, Pattern, and vessel formation followed a strict social stratum; misusing them would be considered a rebellion.

Meanwhile, living people wouldn't use wares that were made explicitly for funerary uses.

Ceramics

Ceramics includes historical Pottery (invented around 12,000 years ago) and more exquisite Porcelain (which appeared about 2000 years ago).

Painted Pottery of Yangshao Culture (Around 5000 BC — 3000 BC) — Taipei History Museum (Photo by Dongmaiying)

White Glaze of the Song Dynasty (960 — 1279)

Cyan and White Glaze Bowl of the Song Dynasty (960 — 1279) — Capital Museum (Photo by Dongmaiying)

Exquisite Famille-rose Porcelain of the Qing Dynasty (1636 — 1912) — Nanjing Museum (Photo by Dongmaiying)

Bronze Ware

Chinese Bronze Ware developed in the Xia Dynasty (about 2070 BC — 1600 BC), flourished in the Shang Dynasty (1600 BC — 1046 BC), reached a peak in the Zhou Dynasty (1046 BC — 256 BC), and gradually declined at the end of the Warring State Period (403 BC — 221 BC) when the iron was invented and widely applied.

Lost Wax Casting Made Bronze Ware (Zun Pan) of Lord Zeng Hou Yi (475 BC — 433 BC) — Hubei Museum

Ritual Bronze Wares

Besides daily and military uses, the most crucial function of bronze ware in ancient China was rituals.

As valuable ritual vessels, bronze wares were strictly divided into different types:

Food Ware: to boil, steam, or place food.

Wine Ware: to store, take, modulate, pour, or drink wine.

Water Ware: to place or pour water, wash hands, or store ice.

Musical Ware: to play music in sacred ceremonies.

Food Ware (1046 BC — 771 BC) — Zhenjiang Museum

Wine Ware (1600 BC — 1046 BC) — National Museum of China

Water Ware (770 BC — 403 BC) — Henan Museum

Musical Ware Chime Bell of Lord Zeng Hou Yi (475 BC — 433 BC) — Hubei Museum

Inscriptions and Pattern of Bronze Wares

Decorations of Chinese bronze wares are relatively simple.

Mythical Animals, like Dragons, are the commonest decorative Patterns.

Decorative Animals on Bronze Ware (1046 BC — 771 BC) — Anhui Museum (Photo by Dongmaiying)

Some fancy bronzes also have inscriptions carved on them to record significant events.

Therefore, those bronze wares with characters also provide excellent value to History and Calligraphy.

Inscriptions on Bronze Tripod of Duke Mao (1046 BC — 771 BC) — Taipei Palace Museum

Lacquer Ware

Over 7000 years ago, ancient Chinese started to use lacquer to protect and decorate vessels.

Black and red are the earliest and dominant colors used in ancient lacquer wares, with colorful paintings or inlaid gems as decorations.

Lacquer Cup (403 BC — 221 BC) — Shanghai Museum (Photo by Dongmaiying)

Jade Ware

Jade is a unique representative of Chinese culture.

Since jade was found around 8000 years ago, it has been used as the most valuable article in worship and ritual ceremonies.

Confucius considered jade ware to represent 11 virtues a decent person should have.

Therefore, jade was the most important, valuable accessory in ancient Chinese Culture.

After Emperor Qin Shi Huang (259 BC — 210 BC), the first emperor in Chinese history, having made a jade imperial seal as the representative of his paramount supremacy, the following Emperors of China stuck to this rule for the next 2000 years.

Imperial Jade Seal of the Qing Dynasty (1636 — 1912)

Moreover, there are over 100 types of jade wares and over 200 Chinese Characters about jade; most are popular characters used in people’s names.

Nowadays, jade accessories are still quite popular among Chinese people, for decorative or religious uses.

Gold Filigree: Intricate Craftsmanship in Thread of Elegance

Gold Filigree is an exquisite technique that draws gold (sometimes silver too) into the fine thread to braid into artworks and then inlays using fancy gems.

Gold Filigree Mythical Animal Bi Xie (25 — 220)

Gold Filigree had been only used to make accessories or some important vessels for the royals in history.

Nowadays, this is still a widespread technique in China, and more materials have been used.

Gold Sachet of the Tang Dynasty (618 — 907)

Golden Hat of Wanli Emperor Zhu Yijun 1563 — 1620

Golden Phoenix Hairpin of the Ming Dynasty (1368 — 1644)

Gold Sachet of the Tang Dynasty (618 — 907) — Chengdu Museum (Photo by Dongmaiying)

Golden Hat of Wanli Emperor Zhu Yijun (1563 — 1620) — Dingling Museum (Photo by Dongmaiying)

Golden Phoenix Hairpin of the Ming Dynasty (1368 — 1644) — Nanjing Museum (Photo by Dongmaiying)

Chinese Paper Cutting: Exceptional Artistry in Delicate Layers

Papercutting, a popular folk art, has been quite popular in Chinese culture.

Over 2500 years ago, before paper was invented, materials like fabric, leather, or foil were cut into different shapes to decorate one’s family or applied as women’s makeup.

Ancient Cosmetic on Woman's Forehead

In the Song Dynasty (960 — 1279), the paper industry became quite mature.

Meanwhile, scissors, knives, and pens were all cheap and accessible.

Since then, paper-cutting has become a professional career, and most people use paper-cutting to decorate everything they like.

Chinese Kite: Soaring Elegance and Cultural Heritage

Great philosopher Mozi used three years to finish a wooden bird about 2400 years ago, but this bird only flew in the sky for one day and then was broken.

Later, his apprentice applied lighter bamboo that made the birds fly for longer days.

This was the earliest kite, according to folk legends.

Soon, fabric and bamboo whistles were added to kites too, which could make musical sounds when flying in the sky.

At that time, the kite was used to test wind and distance, spy on the enemy, or send information.

In the Tang Dynasty (618 — 907), flying kites became popular for people to have fun when paper and more lucky patterns and colorful decorations were applied.

Click to Read More About Chinese Kites

Potted Landscape: Crafting Nature in Miniature Splendor

Potted Landscape that mainly uses plants and stone is stereoscopic, exquisite natural scenery inside pots.

It appeared and was popularized in the Tang Dynasty (618 — 907) when the Potted Landscape became an essential decoration in houses and gardens.

Besides plant and stone, the design of the pot, stand, and inscriptions are all of great significance.

Meanwhile, the nobles appreciated Artificial Potted Landscapes made of valuable gems using exquisite technics for a few centuries.

Jade Artificial Potted Landscape of the Qing Dynasty (1636 — 1912) — Palace Museum (Photo by Dongmaiying)

Lantern: Illuminating Elegance Upon the Night

Emperor Liu Che (156 BC — 87 BC) started to hold a big sacrifice ceremony to worship an honorable immortal named Tai Yi on the 15th of January in the Traditional Chinese Calendar, the first full moon of the year.

This grand rite included many night activities; therefore, many fancy lanterns were invented.

Centuries later, the 15th of January was officially set as the Lantern Festival, the traditional Chinese Valentine's Day.

Click to Read the History, Utilization, Tradition, Culture, and Artifact of Chinese Lanterns

Lantern Festival of Tang Dynasty (618 — 907)

Lantern Festival of the Tang Dynasty (618 — 907)

Around 1500 years ago, more fancy materials and techs were added to making lanterns.

Today, talented artists are still designing more beautiful lanterns for people to appreciate at the Lantern Festival.

Puppet Show and Shadow Play: Art of Light and Silhouettes

Puppet Show evolved out of the wooden figurine used in the sacrifice ceremony.

Shadow Play was invented by a minister, who made a vivid silhouette of Emperor Wu’s (156 BC — 87 BC) favorite imperial concubine to ease the emperor’s grief about her passing away at a young age.

These two appeared in the Han Dynasty (202 BC — 220 AD) and soon developed as popular shows that could be played from the fancy royal palace to remote villages.

Gradually, people added more stories, musical instruments, stage properties, songs, and lines into the shows, while the main actors, the puppet and shadow figurine, became more exquisite.

Puppet Show

Chinese Shadow Play

Plant Weave: Nature's Threads Woven into Artistry

For most ordinary people in history, different types of plants were the most accessible materials that have been used to weave various artworks.

Bamboo, rattan, straw, palm or pillow leaves, hemp, and string are all widely used in Chinese weaving products.