A craftswoman makes cloisonné enamel at the opening ceremony of the "The Great Spirit of Craftsman - Eight Marvelous Handicrafts of Beijing" exhibition. The exhibition is held at the Capital Museum in Beijing from August 9 to November 9, 2016. [Photo by Wang Kaihao/China Daily]

Some exhibits are from cultural relics that are permanently housed at the Capital Museum. A cloisonne tripod that was used to burn incense sticks during Qing (1644-1911) Emperor Qianlong’s era, a gold hairpin studded with rubies from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and a bird-pattern lacquer plate of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) are among examples.

Many exhibits are also items showing modern-day craftsmanship.

Hou Xue, a Beijing-based artisan who specializes in painted and inlaid lacquer, showed his skills at the exhibition. According to him, a small lacquer plate that needs a coating of gold foil usually takes a month to make.

"Most of the artisans earlier only served royal families and nobles. They went to ordinary families after the Qing Dynasty fell," Hou says.

"In olden times, a laquerware for emperors would be painted some 18 times to create a cubic feeling on its surface," he explains. "We may partially simplify the process today for the public like reducing some auxiliary ornamentation, but the gist of the skill remains."