The folk handicraft arts of China are an important part of ancient Chinese culture and arts.They are characterized by long history,wide-ranging elements,many varieties,and unique styles.
Many of China’s folk arts have a history going back as far as 1,000 years and even thousands of years,for instance,the colored potter y and jade ware of the Neolithic Age and the woodcut fish of the Hemudu Period more than 7,000 years ago.China’s folk arts are a continuation of the primitive arts,the contents and decorative patterns having retained traces of those times.The folk paper-cuts and embroidery contain many designs that originated from primitive totems.Following the times,different styles have emerged in China’s folk arts.The bronze ware,lacquer ware,brocade,porcelain ware and so on,each with its own style and bearing,possess exquisite craftsmanship and extraordinary concepts,illustrating the wisdom and talent of China’s ancestors.
Folk arts encompass aspects of clothing,food,housing,and transportation,and their defining feature involves combining practicality with beauty—satisfying the material needs of the people and their pursuit of aesthetics.So,China’s folk arts are simultaneously creations of material and spiritual culture.
The folk arts have distinct regional features.China has a vast territory with great differences in geological conditions,climate,environment,and products.The development of the cultural formations also varies.For instance,China’s southwest produces bamboo and rattan in abundance and their braided products mostly consist of bamboo ware and rattan ware,while north China produces these with wheat stalks and sorghum.The climate in the south is temperate and moist and the garment
materials often consist of cloth,ramie(also known as China grass)and silk,while the north is cold and the garment materials mostly consist of leather,felt,wool,etc.Even with the same material and the same handicraft,characteristics differ because of differences in region,culture,and customs,such as the several kinds of paper-cuts and woodblock New Year paintings discussed in this book.
China’s folk handicraft arts bear out the rich cultures and customs of the country,which are closely related.We may say that China’s folk customs form the ecological environment for the formation and development of its folk handicraft arts.For instance,it is believed among the Chinese people that the tiger is the king of all animals,and the common people would make“tiger head shoes,”shoes with their head in the shape of a tiger head.When a baby grows to about one year old,the elders would put tiger head shoes on the feet of the baby in the hope that these will drive out ghosts and evil spirits and the child would grow strong and spirited.Through each specific handicraft,whether its paper-cut,embroidery,New Year painting,paper horse,Thangka or tile cat,the reader may get the feel of the rich and colorful folk arts developed in the soil of this agricultural civilization.
Of the tens of thousands of handicrafts,only 20 varieties have been chosen from the different regions to share here.Naturally the number is limited,yet just as the saying goes that even one drop of water can reflect the gorgeous sun-light,similarly one can get an idea of the vastness and exquisiteness of Chinese handicrafts.
It is an enjoyable thing for one to travel around China and appreciate the long history and profound culture contained in the handcrafted artifacts.From the gorgeous Tuiguang lacquer in Shanxi to the beautiful fish-skin clothes and adornments of Hezhen ethnic group,from the elegant tricolor pottery to the charming indigo print cloth,from the exquisite embroider y of Sichuan to the per fumed bags of Gansu…Nor th China,Northeast China,Central China,East China,Southwest China,and Northwest China,let’s start our journey!