1. Carved Lacquer
Beijing Carved Lacquer or Diaoqi is a technique of painting natural lacquer on the body, and then carving patterns on the stacked flat lacquer body with a knife.
Carved lacquer products are simple and elegant in shape, well decorated, glossy in color. It can resists moisture and heat. It reflects the superb skills and intelligence of craft artists, and is the treasure of traditional Chinese crafts.
Address: Beijing Arts and Crafts Museum (resumed its normal operation from December 27)
2. Filigree Inlaid Metal Art
Filigree Inlaid Metal Art is a traditional court techinique, which mainly uses materials such as gold, and silver to make handicrafts by inlaying gemstones, pearls or weaving. The process complex and exquisite with beautiful shape and different patterns.
Filigree Inlaid Metal Art enjoys a long history, which appeared as early as the Spring and Autumn Period and reached a high level in the Ming Dynasty. After the Qing Dynasty, Filigree Inlaid Metal Art greatly developed, and high-quality products continued to emerge, enjoying a good reputation at home and abroad.
Address: Beijing Eight Imperial Handicrafts Museum (currently closed due to renovation).Visitors can watch the exhibition online, follow the official WeChat of Beijing Eight Imperial Handicrafts Museum, and click “Venue Exhibition” - “Online Exhibition”
3. Beijing Gold Inlaid Lacquer
Beijing Gold Inlaid Lacquer belongs to an important category of traditional Chinese lacquer craft, which had always been used by the royal family. Beijing is a vital birth place of lacquerware in China. The rise of official handicraft workshops, such as the Paint Bureau of the Yuan Dynasty, the Carved Lacquer Workshop of the Ming Dynasty, and Qing Imperial Workshops laid the foundation for the development of lacquerware in Beijing. Now Beijing Gold Inlaid Lacquer has directly inherited and developed the lacquerware manufacturing art of the Ming and Qing dynasties from many aspects, such as techniques and artistic styles.
Beijing has a wide range of inlaid lacquering techniques, different subjects, and rich color. The inlaid products are exquisite; Colorful painting products are beautiful; Carving and filling products are magnificent with smooth lines. Those ancient handicrafts enjoy high artistic research value and are both convenient and practical. They can be collected and are popular among consumers.
Address: The Palace Museum, Beijing Gold Lacquer Inlay Art Museum (currently closed due to winter heating facilities reconstruction)
4. Cloisonne production technique
Cloisonne, also known as Jingtailan, got mature in the Jingtai period of the Ming Dynasty and that’s the origin of its name. Craftsman uses copper as the base, flattens the thin copper wire and makes various patterns by hand. The process includes firing, polishing, and gold plating.
Jingtailan are elegant in shape, complex in pattern and rich in color. They have the characteristics of court art and enjoy high artistic value. They have been on display in important exhibitions in China and abroad for many times, and are often presented to foreign guests as national gifts.
Address: China Cloisonne Art Museum of China
5. Ivory carving
Beijing ivory carving has a history that can be traced back to at least 2000 years ago. In the historical development, outstanding craftsmen who migrated from other places or were recruited to Beijing have kept learning from local craftsmen in Beijing. After hundreds of years of practice, Beijing ivory carving forms unique technique with palace artistic characters.
Ivory carving has a noble aesthetic beauty due to the quality of the ivory itself, and has become a part of China’s special arts and crafts. The ivory carving process in Beijing is complex and difficult with a wide range of themes, and the skills are passed down by oral teaching.
Address: Beijing Arts and Crafts Museum (resumed its normal opening from December 27)
6. Beijing Jade Carving
Beijing Jade Carving rose in the Yuan Dynasty. In the Ming Dynasty, the royal family rallied the national jade masters so that the court jade carving industry in Beijing became prosperous. Jade carving reached a historical peak in the Qing Dynasty.
Beijing jade carving inherits the artistic tradition of court jade works. It is made of exquisite materials with different kinds such as utensils, figures, flowers, birds and animals, bonsai, and jewelry. Beijing jade carving technique includes many links, such as material clearing, material cutting, designing, grinding, and polishing. The shapes are dignified and elegant, and the decoration is exquisite and delicate, reflecting the high level of technology.
Address: Beijing Arts and Crafts Museum (resumed its normal opening from December 27)
7. Beijing Embroidery
Beijing Embroidery, also known as court embroidery, is an ancient traditional embroidery craft of the Han and the general name of the embroidery products originating from Beijing.
The biggest feature of Beijing embroidery is its luxurious materials. For example, the dragon on the dragon robe are made with silk thread as its eyes, horns, mane hair, claws, and spine, while gold thread is used for other body parts, making the dragon glittering and three-dimensional.
Address: The Palace Museum, Beijing Eight Imperial Handicrafts Museum (currently closed due to renovation)
8. Court carpet
Beijing handmade carpet was formerly known as “official workshop carpet”, also known as “court carpet”. Carpet weaving technology was introduced into China from the Western Regions in the Western Han Dynasty. By the Tang Dynasty, carpet weaving in the Central Plains had become more mature. The carpet weaving industry flourished in the Yuan Dynasty, and large-scale carpet weaving workshops appeared at that time. In the Ming Dynasty, the official carpet weaving organizations began to weave high-quality official carpets. Eentering the Qing Dynasty, the patterns of Beijing official carpets gradually formed an artistic style of multi-ethnic colors and patterns.
Since the 20th century, the Beijing court carpet has been further developed. In 1900, the Beijing court carpet won the gold medal at the World Expo in Paris, France. In 1920, there were 354 palace carpet workshops in Beijing, becoming one of the main producing areas of Chinese carpets. From the late 1970s to the early 1990s, the export of Beijing palace carpets was in its heyday and gained extensive international reputation.
Address: The Palace Museum, Beijing Eight Imperial Handicrafts Museum (currently closed due to renovation)
