Material ware (Beijing material ware)
Beijing ware is a kind of glass art that is popular in Beijing. During the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty, the emperor ordered the Ministry of Industry to set up an imperial factory in Beijing Liulichang to manufacture ware for the imperial court, which was called "official ware" and "imperial glass". After the decline of the Qing Dynasty, the manufacture of ware was transferred from the palace to the people, forming a strong Beijing characteristic. The production of Beijing ware has high requirements for artists. It uses low-melting-point glass as raw material, does not use molds, and has no drawings. It is formed in one go by manual operation with tweezers and scissors. The ware products have a smooth texture, fine workmanship, colorful and exquisite. There are thousands of Beijing ware products, ranging from daily decorations such as jewelry to ornamental crafts such as birds, beasts, flowers, fruits, and figure carvings. Among them, imitation jade ware products are almost indistinguishable from the real thing, which is amazing. At present, there are very few people engaged in Beijing ware, and there is only one master craftsman. Due to the high technical difficulty and long learning time, there are few artists. This traditional folk craft is in danger of being lost and urgently needs to be protected and revitalized.