
Product & Material Guides
The Dance of Fire and Materials: The Complete Production Steps of Chinese Liuli Craftsmanship
The allure of Liuli craftsmanship stems from a refining process characterized by “clay as the base and fire as the soul”—from seemingly ordinary quartz sand to a crystal-clear work of art, it undergoes numerous precision polishing steps. From simple beads from the pre-Qin period to complex modern sculptures, the core production process consistently revolves around four key principles: raw material transformation, modeling, shaping in the fire, and fine finishing. The only difference is that tools and techniques have evolved over time. The following examines the six core steps in Liuli production, integrating traditional and modern techniques.