The patchworks, which are artworks created by patching, though common, can always exhibit people's taste for and imagination of beautiful things. The raw materials needed for patching are extremely easy to obtain. Things deemed rubbish (such as old pieces of cloth) in one person's eyes could be patched into delicate and elegant artworks through another person's deft hands.

The greatest feature of patchworks lies in the art of "patching", which embodies the beauty of time and space as well as people's imagination while producing a new form of art. Having existed since ancient times, over time，the art of patching has not only become more beautiful and mature, but also more varied in its forms.

Forms include simple cloth patchworks, butterfly wing patchworks (artworks made by patching butterfly wings), and the beautiful feather patchworks (made of feathers).

	Cloth-piecing art is said to be rooted in folk crafts in India. Artworks then mostly consisted of apparel and scarves, where patterns and color matching were formed in accordance with local religious customs. In the 12th and 13th centuries, when Europe fell prey to frequent cold snaps, people began making bedclothes by cloth piecing to stay warm. At the time, cloth-piecing techniques were more decorative rather than practical.
	Butterfly pictures are images made from carefully pieced-together butterfly wings to create beautiful, silky-smooth, lustrous and natural patterns. The pictures emphasize the original shape and patterns of butterfly wings, highlighting the texture and metallic luster of different kinds of butterflies.
	Bean painting, where beans are used as the raw material, is a kind of folk art, adopting artistic characteristics from Chinese traditional painting, sculpting and decorative arts. Instead of completely imitating traditional arts, the genre boasts its own special flavor.
	The straw patchwork is basically an art of "cut-and-paste", just like paper-cuts. There is a series of complicated procedures to make wheat straw a beautiful artwork. With its unique luster, the straw patchwork is of high value both for decoration and esthetics. Human figures, birds and flowers as well as animals on the patchwork are all very lifelike, revealing an elegant and classic demeanor.
	Using the feathers of various birds as the raw material, feather drawing is a kind of handmade artwork adapted from traditional Chinese painting, sculpting, woodcarving and decorative art. Feather drawing is renowned for its special, unadorned flavor, and deeply loved by the masses.

Author: Jessie

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