Chinese Liuli (glass) art has a long history, with the earliest records dating back to the Shang and Zhou dynasties. Liuli is a highly valuable art form. However, in recent years, a large number of low-priced "water Liuli" products have appeared on the market. These are "imitation Liuli" products, not genuine Liuli — a distinction that consumers should be aware of.
Liuli is renowned as one of China's Five Great Treasures (gold and silver, jade, Liuli, ceramics, bronze) and one of the Seven Treasures of Buddhism. By the Ming Dynasty, the craft had been largely lost. Even the fragmented techniques that remained in the Ming Dynasty were still protected by rank regulations. At that time, Liuli was already less translucent and was known as "medicine jade." According to the Ming Code, the ornament bestowed by the emperor upon the top scholar (Zhuangyuan) was made of medicine jade, and it was reserved only for officials of the fourth rank and above. When Buddhist culture spread to China, Liuli was regarded as a supreme treasure. The "Eastern Pure Land" of the "Medicine Master Lapis Lazuli Light Tathagata" is said to have a ground made of pure Liuli, whose light illuminates the darkness of the three realms (heaven, earth, and man). As a result, ancient lost-wax Liuli became the foremost of the Seven Treasures of Buddhism.
The craftsmanship of ancient Liuli involves both fire and water, requiring dozens of intricate steps to complete. The process is complex, uncertain, and demands great skill from the artisan. The production itself takes ten to twenty days. The craft has nearly been lost to history. Today, only a few brands in China have mastered it, and it has been designated as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage.
