What are the characteristics of the development of ancient handicrafts in China?

First, it has a long history and continues to develop and progress.

In ancient times, the production of pottery, textiles and jade articles has shown a fairly high technical level, such as the man-made pottery basin in Banpo and the jade articles of Longshan culture. In the later period of primitive society, handicraft industry was separated from agriculture and became an independent production department. Bronze casting technology was quite mature in Shang and Zhou Dynasties. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, cast iron became an important production department. The development of ironmaking, cast iron steelmaking, silk weaving and paper making in Han Dynasty was one of the main signs of economic prosperity at that time. During the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, pouring steel became the most advanced steelmaking method in ancient times. White porcelain successfully produced by burning paper is a major breakthrough in porcelain making technology. During the Sui, Tang and Five Dynasties, silk reeling technology appeared, and porcelain industry became an independent production department. In Song and Yuan Dynasties, Bi Sheng invented movable type printing, and in Yuan Dynasty, Huang Daopo invented a pedal three-spindle spinning wheel to burn blue and white and glaze red.

Second, a variety of modes of operation coexist for a long time, among which government-run handicrafts have long dominated.

During the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, handicrafts were run by the government, which was the so-called "industrial and commercial food officials". During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, with the establishment of private ownership of land and the formation of small-scale peasant economy, professional private handicrafts and cottage industries began to appear. Since then, government-run handicrafts, professional private handicrafts and family handicrafts have become the three main operating forms of ancient handicrafts in China, showing a long-term coexistence pattern. The government-run handicraft industry has abundant funds, large scale of operation, meticulous division of labor and strict organizational form. The requirement of high quality and strict management promoted the improvement of handcraft skills, which represented the highest level of ancient production skills in China. From the Western Zhou Dynasty to the early Ming Dynasty, government-run handicrafts always occupied a dominant position.

Third, the development of ancient handicrafts was inseparable from the agricultural economy, and it was always in a subordinate position.

Developed handicraft areas in history are located in intensive cultivation areas, such as the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River in the early stage and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in the later stage, except for the mining industry, which is greatly restricted by resources and transportation. Intensive farming areas can provide a lot of raw materials for traditional handicrafts in China, which are closely related to agriculture, such as textiles, sugar, tea and wine. In addition, the development of handicraft industry is also conducive to the development of agricultural economy, such as the development of metal smelting. In particular, the development of iron and steel smelting has greatly promoted the improvement of agricultural production tools and the development of agricultural economy. Although the handicraft industry in ancient China was very developed, it served agriculture because of the rulers' policy of attaching importance to agriculture and restraining commerce. When handicraft industry was combined with agriculture, it was still in a subordinate position in the agricultural economy.

Fourthly, the regional division of labor and specialization level of handicraft industry are influenced by commodity economic activities.

The development and layout of early handicraft industry were greatly influenced by the distribution of natural resources. With the improvement of traffic conditions, the development of commerce, and the formation of a unified regional and national market, the development of handicraft industry has broken through the limitation of raw material production areas, and products have gone to the whole country, providing conditions for the emergence of specialized production centers for handicraft industry. For example, in Wenzhou in the Song Dynasty, "the land is not suitable for mulberry, but for weaving, not for painting, but for utensils" (Yongle Grand Ceremony). "Tiangong Wu Kai" contains: "Where Dongyi produces Japanese satin, Zhang Quan seashore imitates it, and the silk comes from Chuanchuan, and the merchant Wan Li sells it, and the pepper is easy to return to the mainland." Jingdezhen porcelain industry is also "craftsmen from all directions, utensils into the world." It can be seen that without an active commodity economy and a unified domestic market, the division of labor and the development of professional handicrafts in various regions are unimaginable.

Fifth, the development of handicraft industry and the change of social life influence each other.

On the basis of the great development of the paper industry in the Song Dynasty, block printing was popularized, the folk book printing industry flourished, and many private book engraving centers appeared in the south. In the past, "rare" books circulated around the world as commodities and were readily available. The popularity of literacy textbooks, such as hundred family names and thousands of characters, has made folk education very popular, improved literacy rate, lowered academic level, and promoted the prosperity and development of folk culture and art.

Sixth, with the shift of the economic center of gravity to the south, the distribution area of handicraft centers has also changed accordingly.

About the Southern Song Dynasty, the economic center of ancient China shifted from the north to the south. With the shift of economic center of gravity to the south, many handicraft departments and their main producing areas have also shifted from the north to the south. Take the silk industry as an example. From the Western Zhou Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty, the center of China's silk industry was in the north, basically centered on Chang 'an. In the Southern Song Dynasty, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Chengdu and other places set up Brocade Academy (official silk industrial organization) with their own looms. Thousands of craftsmen and more private workshops have produced a large number of exquisite silk fabrics, such as silk yarn and goose fat cotton from Wu Kang and Anji, all of which are top grades. Jiashan Tang Wei Mijia weaving is famous for its painted silk, which indicates that the center of silk weaving industry has shifted from the north to the south.