Handmade Beaded Bracelet | Kuang Xiaonuo

Manager : Kuang Xiaonuo

Studio : Kuang Kuang Bead Studio

Target audience : Ages 8 and up

Materials : Various gemstone beads

Experience description : Maybe you want to have a unique piece of jewelry, maybe you want to show your creativity. Why not make your own personalized bracelet?

Key skills : color matching, bead selection, threading, knot tying

Duration : 1-2 hours

In the early Stone Age, people pierced shells, strung them together, and wore them around their necks. The earliest bracelets found in China date back 15,000 years to the Zhoukoudian Upper Cave, and were made from polished animal teeth and bones. In ancient times, these were considered luxury items and symbolized status in the community.

Many exquisite beads were unearthed from the Shang Dynasty site of Yinxu in Anyang, including spherical beads. In addition, high-quality gemstones of various textures and colors were also found, which were mainly used for clan sacrifices and funeral ceremonies.

During the Western Zhou Dynasty and the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, the ornaments of the nobility were particularly gorgeous, with a wide variety of jade tubes, jade rings, jade armor and other beads. The agate of the Western Zhou Dynasty was also quite famous.

In Chinese history, the court nobles of the Qing Dynasty were keen on wearing bead bracelets. The "morning beads" worn in the Qing Dynasty consisted of 108 beads. According to the regulations of the Qing Dynasty, the emperor wore beads of different materials on different occasions. For example, pearls were worn at grand ceremonies, turquoise beads were worn when offering sacrifices to heaven, amber or beeswax beads were worn when offering sacrifices to the earth, coral beads were worn when offering sacrifices to the sun, and turquoise beads were worn when offering sacrifices to the moon. In addition to their decorative functions, these bracelets also have auspicious meanings. For example, there is a bracelet with 18 coral beads in the Forbidden City, which is decorated with turquoise Buddha heads, karmic beads and jade pendants, and is engraved with a pattern of bats holding money, symbolizing "blessings are in front of you."

Optional beads

Optional beads

The Song Dynasty poet Zeng Ji wrote in "Sanqu Daozhong" that "the stream is full of mountains, and only the boat can sail on the water surface." The meaning is: driving a small boat slowly on the water surface, suddenly reaching the end of the stream, the boat cannot sail in front of the boat, and the only choice is to abandon the boat and go to the mountain. This process is like a person touching beads for the first time, from selecting beads, threading, threading, stringing beads, knotting... The whole process is going around and around, constantly choosing, judging, and changing... But after all are done, you will find that "the green shade remains the same on the original road, and the sound of orioles is added four or five times." On the mountain road, the green trees are like a cover, and the original richness remains the same. The sound of orioles is also harvested, adding infinite vitality and interest to the mountains. The fun of stringing beads is like this, enjoying the healing process and tasting the joy of harvest.

Choose beads

Threads

Threading the Needle

tie