Liuligongfang pair of horse zodiac small paperweights. Rare, numbered 218/1818

Rare lucky numbered set of 2 small art glass year of the horse paperweights made by the famous Liuli Gongfang Glassworks in China. Founded in 1987 by renowned glass artists Loretta H. Yang and Chang Yi, LIULI has grown from a modest workshop in Taiwan to become Asia’s leading brand of crystal art. Liuli is a Chinese term from the Han Dynasty for glass art, and was chosen to honor the richness of Chinese heritage and culture. Records show that artisans of the Han Dynasty were highly skilled in lost-wax casting (pâte de verre) but the craft was subsequently lost and forgotten. Yang and Chang revived the craft and reintroduced it to the international arena. The pioneering LIULI spirit has guided contemporary glass art to new heights. Each piece undergoes a comprehensive twelve-step process and requires six to eight months to complete. LIULI produces a limited number of pieces, so as to foster an environment where our artists are constantly engaged in the creation process and stay relevant to the society we care about. This set is 2 small figures of horses lying down with intricate leaves and vines covering them in satin glass with swirls of blue and yellow. These lovely figurines are numbered 218 of 1818 and marked NEW WORKSHOP 1999. They are in their original presentation box which does show signs of age and wear. NOTE: one has a small chip on its ear (pictured). US shoppers find me on Etsy