Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. Is LIULI glass?
LIULIGONGFANG believes that "glass is a kind of material, and LIULI is a kind of thought and emotion." The term of LIULI first appeared in the Han Dynasty. It was widely used in ancient China for materials that were transparent and shiny like gems; it was also called"glass" and "material vessel".
From the point of view of ancient Chinese documents, the name of LIULI has different meanings in different eras. In the Han Dynasty, LIULI and glass have the same meaning. In fact, glass is a kind of material, for example, glasses lens is a kind of optical glass, glass doors and windows are ordinary flat glass, and a layer of low-temperature LIULI on the glazed tiles on the roofs of ancient Chinese buildings is also a kind of glass.
However, for LIULIGONGFANG, we always believe that if not valuing the thoughts, not instilling emotion, LIULI can only stay at the level of technique and material forever. Therefore, LIULIGONGFANG intends to formally define the general name of "crystal glass" as "LIULI";it has adopted the name of glass since the Han Dynasty in China. In addition to emphasizing the self-definition and expectations of thoughts and emotions, it also emphasizes the national culture and the sense of mission.
2. How to appreciate the LIULI art work?
The beauty of light and shadow of LIULI
Under the projection of light and shadow of LIULI, the refraction and change of light and shadow, and the condensed space were produced by the carving and cutting surface, it make people feel wonderful.
The natural flow of color
The color of LIULI is formed by natural flow during casting and burning. The brilliant color contains a flowing and colorful color in the light.
Each piece is unique
Each piece of the LIULI art works is hand-sculpted, fired and cast, and each piece is unique, which can be described as natural workmanship. The flow of colors and the natural generation of bubbles give the art work a different artistic conception.
Bubbles are the breath of LIULI
Bubbles are naturally formed during the production of LIULI. Many creators intentionally use bubbles as the subject of their creations, precisely mastering the flow and size of bubbles, such as Yang Huishan's No Phase series and Steven Weinberg's Boat series. Therefore, the bubbles are the breath of LIULI, which can bring vitality to the art work.
The shape and meaning of LIULI
Behind every piece of art work, there are rich meanings. The designer’s creative thinking or profound cultural emotions were underneath every pattern, symbol, and totem; and the blessings and meanings of each art work are more intriguing.
3. How are the colors in LIULI crystal work achieved?
LIULI’s signature pate-de-verre method of crystal glass-casting typically involves repeated firing of an art piece at 2500 degree Fahrenheit to achieve the final result. Typically, transparent crystal is used as the base color, after which in the second stage of re-firing other metals will be added to the mix to achieve color by oxidization. For instance: oxidizing cobalt will produce a blue hue; manganese—violet; pure gold—a deep crimson. And with high heat melt casting, the colors produced are crystallized—never fading. Forged twice from the negative plaster molds of these art pieces, tailored with multilayered color blends that are infused with bubbles, are the unique and organic artworks that are distinctively LIULI.
4. Why are there bubbles inLIULI artworks?
In the pate-de-verre style of casting crystal glass, or LIULI, bubbles area naturally occurring element. We believe this very organic effect possesses the strongest feeling of the artwork’s “life force,” as if the art pieces breathe through the bubbles. So we encourage it in many pieces. In fact, in artist Loretta H. Yang’s collection “Formless, but not WithoutForm”—exclusively emphasize freeform effervescence, with deliberate and careful manipulation and direction of each piece’s bubbles.
5. What is the difference between LIULI and crystal?
In nature, crystallization is a naturally occurring process by which materials can form in highly ordered microscopic structure. This could be anything from metals and rocks to salt and just plain water. This differs from crystal glass, which is an artificial material combining glass with a certain percentage of lead to produce a brilliantly translucent material which can be transformed and molded for artistic interpretation and design.
6. Why do LIULI artworks contain lead?
In order for man-made glass to be considered “crystal,” it must reach minimum international standard of 16%. In striving for quality, our studio crafts its pieces with a standard 24% lead. The resulting art pieces that emerge are not only much more durable but also significantly brighter and reflective. This can sometimes also be measured by the sound that a crystal wine glass creates, which rings louder and brighter than ordinary glass.
7. Is it safe to use products containing lead?
Because the minimal lead content used in our art pieces have been casted in extremely high temperatures and subsequently cooled, the release of lead particles in normal everyday use is very unlikely. Still, we recommend that you do not let them sit with beverages with very high alcohol content for extended periods of time. We also recommend not exposing them to beverages over 60degrees Celsius (140 degrees Fahrenheit). Meanwhile, we also recommend choosingLIULI LIVING lines with tableware, barware, bone china sets for everyday use.
8. How should I display the artworks at home?
Each LIULI artwork design possesses various elements (such as its bubbles, color blends, dimensions, and composition) that play with the surround light in totally unique ways. Appropriate lighting could be ambient, direct, artificial, natural, or a combination of any of the above. We also have display acrylic base in different sizes available for purchase at gallery and online store, please speak with one of our specialists today on more interior design ideas for your art piece!
9. How to maintain the art works?
LIULI Art Works
- LIULI can be cleaned with warm water or detergent. After cleaning, please use a dry cloth to wipe it immediately.
- Please avoid placing in extreme cold and hot environments.
- Please avoid any chemical solvents on the joints. (Such as toluene, acetone... and other organic solvents)
- Avoid collision or friction movement. Do not directly place on the desktop when moving the art work. Please place it on a soft cloth.
- The LIULI material is fragile, please handle it carefully.
Glassware (wine cup/tea cup...etc.)
The LIULI utensils in LIULIGONGFANG are hand made in twelve processes using the pate-de-verre. Please pay attention to the following when using:
- Please clean with white vinegar or lemon juice for the first use. For normal use, clean with mild detergent or warm water and dry with cotton cloth to avoid water stains.
- Please use it at room temperature. The work is more sensitive to temperature, so it is not suitable for hot drinks. Do not place or wash in extremely cold and extremely hot environments, as it will easily cause internal cracks and damage to the art work.
- Please handle the LIULI art works with care to avoid collision and scratches between the art works and the desktop.
- Although there are suitable ways to use and collect art works, you can still use your imagination and let us know more about your creative use or display. However, there are still certain restrictions on the use of the art work, for example, as they are extremely sensitive to temperature, please do not hit with hard objects, etc. Therefore, if you have more creative ideas, it is recommended that you contact an art gallery partner or customer service line in advance.
10. Is each art work produced in the same quantity? Why is there a limited edition?
Before the official release of each work, we use a very complicated formula to calculate the price of the art work and the total number of exclusive scheduled releases based on the original materials, labor force, time, failure rate... and other factors required for the art work. Therefore,The total number of releases of most works will not be the same. Before the official packaging and shipment, as long as it is a qualified art work, we will use a drill pen to engrave the number of pieces belonging to the art work and the total number of pieces issued at the bottom of the work. To protect the collection rights of collectors, this is the guarantee of LIULIGONGFANG and art works will never be over-issued. The limited edition is mainly due to the motivation of continuous design creation under the limitation, rather than just producing so-called best-selling style art works. Of course, the art works also maintain value because they are issued in limited quantities.
11. Why is the art piece I wish to collect no longer available?
We apologize if the work you seek is no longer available. Almost all of our artistic creations are designed with a set quantity (engraved on the bottom of the piece) after reaching which the studio will cease producing. This is partly a commitment of our artists to constantly strive for new and original designs—“to continuously create art for the good of the heart”. We highly encourage you to speak with our gallery specialists about finding other artworks.
12. Special order for out of stock artwork(s)?
Special order on out of stock artwork(s) will take up to 3-6 months, depend on the complexity of the artwork(s).Please contact us at (852) 9201-9504 or online@liuligongfang.com.hk for special order inquiries.