I was wandering in San Francisco, and happened upon the Liuli Gallery (mellow music will play when clicking). It’s a company started by Loretta Hui-Shan Yang (multi-award winning actress from Taiwan), who in 1987, entered the art glass world. It’s pate de verre, which dates back to the Third Century B.C. in China.

I have a gorgeous glossy brochure that my ‘tour guide’ from the gallery gave me. I spent maybe 30 minutes in this gallery, and he loved showing me the pieces from small to very large, telling me about the symbolism, construction, etc. I had a great time.

The art had Chinese and/or Buddhist imagery, many seasonal or monthly. There were turtles and fish and pigs. There were Buddhist hands, lotus leaves and flowers, and Buddhas. There was tableware, jewelry, and sculptures — small and large. Pieces were polished, waxy-looking, or shiny. There were faces or figures of frosted glass imbedded in shiny glass of the same color. There was a lot to see.

The gallery was a whole atmosphere, with music, lights, and glass. If you’re in California (San Gabriel or San Francisco), New York (Flushing), or locations in Singapore, Malaysia, Mainland China, or Hong Kong, see if you can fit in a visit. And if you can make it to the Liuli China Museum in Shanghai? It’s a nightclub at night. Can you imagine?

Image of the Liuli Museum, courtesy of www.smartshanghai.com