Silk tapestry is a form of textile art having a long history in China and employing specialized techniques. Unlike other weaving methods in which the vertical (warp) and horizontal (weft) threads extend back and forth completely across the loom, tapestry in China is done on a simple plain-weave loom using a technique in which the warp threads fully extend but the weft ones do not. In fact, the Chinese term for tapestry, k'o, is defined as chih-wei (or "weaving weft") in the ancient dictionary Yü-p'ien (Jade Chapters; written in 543 AD) by Ku Yeh-wang of the Liang dynasty. ...
The Battle of Red Cliff, one of the most famous campaigns in Chinese history, is a prime example of how ingenious tactics can result in a brilliant victory out of an outnumbered situation. From the initial marshaling of forces on both sides, to the final decisive pitched battle, the whole sequence of events lasted mere several months, but has since then inspired people's imagination for over a thousand years, and even well into today. Poets, painters, calligraphers, playwrights, novelists, and many others, all in their various creative ways, join to extol this historical and historic romance of the legendary battle, as well as its constellation of heroes and heroines. ...
Furniture is an art form combining both aesthetic with pragmatic qualities. Like the features of one's face, once the location and features of the eyes and mouth have been established, a whole range of beauty, expression, and emotion becomes possible within a limited space. ...
Every museum has its unique historical background and compositional structure. The contents of a museum's collection and exhibits are dictated in part by such factors, and the objects in its holdings are important keys to understanding what makes that museum unique and different from others. In other words, regardless of any ensuing political or social changes that occur, this foundation of a collection can never be completely eradicated, because the only things that change are the perspective and interpretation. ...
The fa-lang-ts'ai porcelains in the collection of the National Palace Museum can be divided into two categories, painted fa-lang-ts'ai porcelains and yang-ts'ai porcelains. Masterpieces of unprecedented quality, these works had earned themselves the favor of the Ch'ien-lung emperor. During his reign, they were kept in the Ch'ien-ch'ing-kung Palace, where the emperor would admire them. The present exhibition concentrates on yang-ts'ai porcelains, although a number of fa-lang-ts'ai porcelains are also on view to demonstrate the differences between the two. ...
Longquan wares were celadon produced at the hundreds of kilns near Lungquan area in southwestern part of Zhejiang province, China. By the Song dynasty (960-1279), artisans had established the Longquan glaze's signature glossy, greenish color, a tradition which continued through the Yuan (1271-1368) and Ming dynasty (1368-1644). ...
A Slice of Wonder
