Arts and Crafts Masterworks Expo opens in Beijing

About 150 masterworks of red stoneware, jade carving and Suzhou embroidery are on show at the Jiangsu Arts and Crafts Masterworks Expo in Beijing.

The red stoneware works have been without a doubt the focus of this expo. They are all carefully chosen masterpieces created by China's greatest red stoneware artist. This pot is called the "16 Bamboos", because it looks like 16 bamboo shoots joined together.

The section that joins the spout and the pot's body comes to life through the excellent craftsmanship of the artist. 15 jade carving works and some Suzhou embroidery are also at the show.

A bowl made of thin jade, no more than 3 millimetres thick attracted much attention. It was carved out of a block of jade and there are exquisite patterns from Islam all over the piece. The Suzhou embroidery of a piece of meat must be the most time-consuming piece of this expo. It took the artist a whole year, using silk threads of at least 600 different colours.

Nearly 150 masterpieces from artists of Jiangsu province are on show, giving people a first hand look at the beauty of traditional Chinese arts and crafts.