Beijing Hotels: Nearby Antique Porcelain Shop

Jing Ying Ge is a shop specializing in porcelain antique items.The shop owner Mr Wang, developed a strong interest for ceramic for more than 10 years.

He showed me one of his favorite ware made about 700 years ago. Mr Wang said the high value of the ware lied in its intactness and complicated technology. Both  blue and white wares glazing and peacock blue glazing are applied in the making. While the complex flower carving made the item more priceless. The antique sells at RMB 500,000.

Then I noticed a hexagonal blue and white porcelain of Qing Dynasty. Looking at its inside, it features a Bagua composing by six pictures. The blue and white ware puzzled me for its usage. Until Mr Wang told me, I will never know it is a brush pen washing basin. Its price is tagged at more than thousand.

Jing Ying Ge also carries some scroll works drawn by Mr Wang's artist friends and large items of porcelain from Jing De Zhen, a famous China town.

Beijing Hotels: Nearby Dazhetang Porcelain Shop

Located in biggest antique city in west Beijing, DaZeTang is a  shop selling old-time porcelain or ceramic ware.

I was impressed by the shop owner,Mr Xie's knowledge about porcelain. He is a golden winner of CCTV ceramic connoisseur contest, and is very talkative.

He showed me a pair of hat-hangers made around 1912. During that period, workers used Fen Cai, a kind of porcelain coloring skill, to portrait the beautiful patterns on wares. But it was later found Fen Cai items contained lead that may impair people's health. So European applique technique was adopted to replace Fen Cai. The couple items are sold at RMB 3500.

Mr Xie is also a good story teller. Almost every ceramic ware in his shop has a story, like this porridge vase. It was made in early Ming Dynasty about 700 years ago,telling a story about a famous calligrapher from Song Dynasty, Mi Fu. Mi Fu often realized the spirit of calligraph by examining stones and bamboos. And he perfected the stability and tenacity of Chinese characters by studying the growth of the natural creatures. The story contains a philosophy: calligraph training is something beyond calligraph itself. I interpret as it is important to cultivate natural mood to produce good works. The price is pegged at RMB 3000.

If you want to know more about Chinese porcelain making and history, come to visit Mr Xie's shop, and he would be like to help.

Beijing Hotels: Nearby Guyazhai Antique Shop

If you come to the Beijing's famous artisan hub of Liuli Chang, you will find many antiques and artifacts shop, and Gu Ya Zhai is one of them
 
It is a curio shop selling various kinds of antique items, like porcelain,calligraphy, painting, shadow puppet, snuff bottle and kite.

The shop owner, Mr Xu, showed me his collection of porcelain ware excitedly. Most of the items on the wooden shelf has a history of more than 100 years. He especially introduced the one made during Guangxu emperor regime. Because two parts can be rotated, the piece is rare and set price of RMB 10000.

I was attracted by its large section of  reverse painted tobacco bottles. Most of them are the crystal bottles made by modern artists. These exquisite bottles are with different themes, like spring lantern feast, ancient beauties, fairy tales, and landscapes. I like the cat one most. If you check close, you can even see the cat fur are clearly painted inside the bottle. Price ranges from RMB 500 to RMB 2000 according to different shapes and skills.

Mr Xu told me the most popular items for foreigners are thin-silk kite and shadow puppets. The largest kite in the shop, featuring a light green fish costs RMB 80. While a pair of shadow puppets are priced for RMB 250.

Located near the Forbidden City, there is a famous Jun ware shop. It has high reputation among Jun ware connoisseurs and collectors in Beijing. Even I am not a fan of Jun, I know the shop.

The shop offers a selection of Jun porcelain made in Yu County in Henan, where the Jun kiln site was excavated 3 decades ago. Mr. Wang, the shop owner and noted connoisseur, speaks fluent German. He was fancied by Jun porcelain and the making technique - Furnace Transmutation. The technique could make iridescent chinaware by the irregular application of glaze.

In the shop, I saw a mountain-theme dish. But after the Furnace Transmutation process, a Santa iamge popped up unexpectedly. This is the magic of Furnace Transmutation. Before the process finished, it would be unable to know what patterns you are going to have. The dish costs around RMB2,500.

Though most of the products copy traditional designs, there are some modern patterns. Two bottle vases with bronze lace and flames are actually designed by Mr. Han Meilin, who creates Fuwa Olympic mascots. Each of the vase sells for around RMB 3,000.

Koji pottery was originated from Guangdong province back in Qing Dynasty. Traditionally the pottery was applied as temple and shrine adornments; however, koji pottery is now becoming a world famous style of folk art for its variety of soft colors and designs.

I visited the Koji pottery shop in Baigong Handicraft Museum. Combining the art of molding, engraving, painting and firing, all the works in the shop were colorful and lively.

What I like most were these differently posed little lions of white, blue, yellow and golden colors. The shop assistant told me they are made in Taiwan and sold at RMB 300 each.

The shop also carries some Tang Sancai pottery wares, or tri-color-glazed pottery of the Tang Dynasty. Like the vivid horse figures in various stances cost RMB 160 each. While a small wooden folding screen with six tourism spots Beijing: the Great Wall, Tian'anmen Square, Temple of Heaven, Beihai Park, the Summer Palace, and the Fragrant Hill Park, is also amazing. It is priced at RMB 120.

Located in the Drum Tower area, Guang Ming Ge offers a variety of Old Beijing baubles and knickknacks.

Entering the shop, I was first attracted by the Sir Rabbit', or Tu-Er-Yea' as its Beijingers nickname. The item features a colorfully dressed, cat-mounted rabbit with a human body. Legend tells the rabbit was a fairy pet from the moon. It came to rescue people from a plague striking throughout Beijing. The fairy pet later rode a cat so it could move around more quickly to help more people. Beijing People now offer fruits and cakes to it on the mid-autumn day to honor its good deed. Each Tu-Er-Yea' sells for RMB 30.

The shop carries a range of hutong photos, Great Wall clay, and so on. If you want to know the siheyuan, traditional courtyard residences, you should check these hutong photos. Each framed photo cost RMB 100.

Also, there are beautiful items such as white porcelain figurines, straw-weaving animals, opera mask pendant, Chinese zodiac amulet, to name just a few.

Cloisonné, or "Jing Tai Lan" in Chinese, is kind of decorative enamelwork in which metal filaments are fused to the surface of an object to outline a design that is filled in with enamel paste. Introduced from Arab in the late 13th century, the art became popular in Ming Dynasty.

Last week on my visit to Baigong Handicraft Museum, I found this cloisonné shop on the second floor. On the shelves against walls displayed a variety of colorful cloisonné vases. Among them, the most appealing one to me was called "Maple Leaves", featuring many red maple leaves and golden-outlined clouds vividly spreading over the white color vase. The item costs RMB 1600.

In a showcase, I also found some small, inexpensive handicrafts. Like the white horse with golden hooves and beautiful flower patterns on its body is sold at about RMB 200.

In the midst of the room, I see two middle-aged women making cloisonné articles. They said a piece of cloisonné article requires 37 procedures such as body shaping, filigree making, enameling, heating, and gilding.

Ranked as one of the eight consummate arts of Beijing, it is good idea to buy some cloisonné artworks home when you travel in the capital.