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.
