( 
)A cursory glance at the history of Chinese Culture will reflect certain
famous/infamous time periods. The first emperor of China, the Tang
Dynasty for its Tang Poems and Art, the Song Dynasty for its verses,
the last Emperor of China (made famous by the Academy Award-winning
1987 biopic about the life of PuYi, the last Emperor of China
directed by Bernardo Bertolucci), the Opium war, Maoism and the Cultural Revolution.
It is however regrettable that one of the finest technique of glass art was lost in the midst of all this. Known as Liu Li, this form of glass art is made in a way analogous to the Lost Wax casting (also known as cire-perdu) methods that most jewellery manufacturers and students of goldsmithing are familiar today.
The first known record of the Liu Li Glass Art dates back to the 11th century which was developed based on similar techniques related to bronze smelting. However, this particular glass art was believed to have dwindled into oblivion from China sometime in the 18th Century, due to the Opium War.
The Liu Li Glass Art was finally revived sometime in 1987 by a famous Taiwanese husband and wife team of Loretta Hui-Shan Yang and Chang Yi, who had been studying the potential of French technique of "Pate de Verre". Curiosity was soon replaced by astonishment when they discovered that the French technique actually originated from China during the Han Dynasty and was lost for a period of 200 years in China.
"Pate de Verre" is a traditional technique which can be summarised as using a mix crushed glass with enamels or paint to form a paste that was carefully placed in a mold and then fired. Modern techniques are a variation of the above, but are outside of the purview of this article.
Most Liu Li Glass Art is currently available are beautiful sculptural pieces and these are made in very limited quantities due to the extensive efforts required to create a single piece and the sculpture can be fired for as much as 30 times before the piece is finished. Most Liu Li pieces that are available in the market come in the form of small pieces of work, like the pendants that are available on eBay and other comparative sites.
Author : Aden Angier
To Find Out More About Aden Angier & Her OOAK Artisan Jewelry, Click here!
Sales Channels on eBay : Click here to visit my ebay store
It is however regrettable that one of the finest technique of glass art was lost in the midst of all this. Known as Liu Li, this form of glass art is made in a way analogous to the Lost Wax casting (also known as cire-perdu) methods that most jewellery manufacturers and students of goldsmithing are familiar today.
The first known record of the Liu Li Glass Art dates back to the 11th century which was developed based on similar techniques related to bronze smelting. However, this particular glass art was believed to have dwindled into oblivion from China sometime in the 18th Century, due to the Opium War.
The Liu Li Glass Art was finally revived sometime in 1987 by a famous Taiwanese husband and wife team of Loretta Hui-Shan Yang and Chang Yi, who had been studying the potential of French technique of "Pate de Verre". Curiosity was soon replaced by astonishment when they discovered that the French technique actually originated from China during the Han Dynasty and was lost for a period of 200 years in China.
"Pate de Verre" is a traditional technique which can be summarised as using a mix crushed glass with enamels or paint to form a paste that was carefully placed in a mold and then fired. Modern techniques are a variation of the above, but are outside of the purview of this article.
Most Liu Li Glass Art is currently available are beautiful sculptural pieces and these are made in very limited quantities due to the extensive efforts required to create a single piece and the sculpture can be fired for as much as 30 times before the piece is finished. Most Liu Li pieces that are available in the market come in the form of small pieces of work, like the pendants that are available on eBay and other comparative sites.
Author : Aden Angier
To Find Out More About Aden Angier & Her OOAK Artisan Jewelry, Click here!
Sales Channels on eBay : Click here to visit my ebay store
Guide created: 06/22/07 (updated 04/08/08)
Thank you for voting. If your vote meets our 
