Q. How long has this art been around? A. Although some scholars have dated the Chinese art form of painting on the inside of glass to over 1000 years ago, it was not until the mid-17th century that it became a prized and collected art form within the imperial court.  Find out more Q. What makes this art form unique? A. In addition to being an accomplished artist, the painter must master several techniques. (1) The artist is required to paint through a small opening in the ornament on the inside of the glass . (2) To paint in this art form , the artist has to paint in reverse order with the foreground completed first and then finishing with the background. (3) Certain ornaments used are opaque mouth-blown glass.  These ornaments don’t allow the artist to see the tip of the brush and all painting must be done by “feel”. Q. How are they painted? A. Through a small opening in each piece, the artists insert his brush and paints on the inside of the glass.  Using delicate brushstrokes, and a very steady hand, the artists create intricately detailed scenes.  From outlining to shading to color application, all work is painstakingly done in free hand.  When completed, the artists proudly sign his/her name. Watch the video! Q. How long does it take to complete a single piece? A. Depending on the intricacy of the design, a simpler piece may take several hours, a moderately intricate item several days and an elaborately detailed ornament may take one to two weeks. Q. What type of glass is used? A. All ornaments are created using mouth-blown glass.  Mouth-blown glass is lighter in weight, better quality and more transparent than oven molded glass.  The exceptional glass quality provides a lustrous appearance bringing out the color and brilliance of each design. Q. Why do the ornaments have a different look? A. In some pieces the glass remains transparent.  In other pieces, an iridescent coating is applied. In those ornaments that appear frosted or non-transparent, the technique of sand-blasting the inner surface is employed to create the abrasive inner surface to which certain paints can adhere Q. What kinds of brushes are used? A. The brushes are hand-made of a steel wire stem and horse hair tips.  The brushes are slightly bent in order to access the complete surface area of a three-dimensional object.  A variety of tips are hand-formed and used throughout the creation of one piece, ranging from a fine tip for outlining to cotton buds for shading. Q. Are these ornaments just for the holidays? A. Absolutely not!  50% of the ornaments depict scenes that are not of a holiday nature.  Many of our customers display Christmas and Non-Christmas ornaments year-round using a display stand. Stands Q. Can you describe the gift box? A. Each box is entirely made by hand.  The fabric is a traditional weave of a high quality silk damask material selected to complement the traditional style of the box and its hand-crafted construction.  Additionally, the box is lined with red satin and is held closed with a carved bone clasp. Q. Is the Silk Damask gift box included with the ornament? A. Yes. Each ornament comes with a gift box.  The box is perfect for storing the ornament and also does a great job protecting the ornament during shipping. Q. What are the Limited Editions? A. Each Limited Edition, in addition to being signed by the artist, is numbered and then retired. Each scene has a greater level of intricacy and detail than the average ornament and thus requires a higher level of skill to paint. Because of the numbered quantity created, these Limited Editions make great collectibles. Q. How are these ornaments displayed? A. Our customers display their ornaments on our ornament stands, Christmas trees, or in the silk damask gift box. Q. Who designs the scenes? A. All scenes are created as a collaboration between Chinese and American artists.  Some of the more notable American artists are Peggy Abrams, Paul Brent, Jenny Faw, Mary Parker and Susan Zulauf. Q. What kind of paints are used? A. The paints used vary from piece to piece.  They include the use of watercolor, acrylic, enamel and oil.