From small, delicate snuff bottles to elegant, vivid flower and bird ornaments,

pieces of lustrous glaze have been turned into exquisite glazeware in the skillful hands of the craftsman.

Records show glaze lanterns appeared at the Lantern

Festival in Beijing as early as the Ming Dynasty.

In the following Qing Dynasty,

Emperor Kangxi ordered the establishment of Liulichang to produce glazeware for the royal family.

So the glazeware was also called “palace” or “royal” glazeware.

After the fall of the Qing Dynasty,

the production of glazeware was transferred from the court to the folk market,

and it gradually formed a strong Beijing style.

After more than 200 years of development,

Beijing glazeware is famous for its fine craftsmanship.

The craftsman heats the glaze rod on the lamp to soften it,

then works on it with tweezers or scissors,

to create the desired shape,

which lays in the mind of the experienced craftsman, in just one go.

Zodiac animals, Buddha statues, flowers and birds, camels -- each of these large or small pieces of art is one of a kind.

The exquisite glazeware crystallizes the creative mind and painstaking efforts of Chinese craftsmen.

It is not only a fabulous handicraft,

but also a national treasure with both artistry and culture.

责任编辑：【何三礼】