Miniature Chinese Room, Making Tiny Chinese Dolls

Thought I would show you some photos of a simple Chinese room box I made years ago. I made a false back to add shelves and a window with an inset sunset, the sunset can be lit. I framed the windows with an old folding screen parts and put smaller folding screens on either side. When I first made it I had different figures on the shelves. When we went with out son's to China, John bought me a set of the tiny teapots for my Birthday (I actually lost my Birthday somehow during the fourteen hours it took us to get there, lol). I love the teapots very much because each was different and made of stoneware. I china painted and made the plates of porcelain and the bowl and plate on the table. While in China I also found the tiny mud figures. The large doll at the back my mom bought for me when she visited china, it is so delicate and sculpted. The lovely green turning on the table was by Rob Tukhum of RJT Miniatures The funiture is commercial but while we were in China we were fortunate to attend the Peking Opera and we sate in chairs and had a table exactly like these.

We also went to a cloisonne factory in China that was amazing, where I bought the tiny vase on the right front. The factory was so interesting, the kiln was built into the ground and a leaver brought everything up and down somehow. I also bought the two cloisonne pictures that were in a photo the blog about our bedroom from my March 24 blog. Couldn't resist a tiny cloisonne teapot too.

The little Chinese Dolls are some of the first miniatures I ever made to sell in the early 80's, can't believe it was that long ago. I put a covered wire through two beads and twisted the wire on top for the hair. Then I painted them with enamel paints. I arranged them on a button and added a bit of tiny white stones. They were really fun to make and there are so many things you can make with plain beads.