Heritage
Heritage
Ronghua, the velvet flower, has been wound by hand for over a thousand years — first for emperors' courts, now for you.
Of the court
In the Qing court, velvet flowers bloomed where fresh flowers could not — through winter, through ritual, through a lifetime of ceremonies. They were worn by rank, gifted by decree, and kept as treasure.
Of the hand
There is no mould and no machine. A bloom is wire and silk, shaped by eye and scissors, finished over weeks. The craft is transmitted master to apprentice, hand to hand.
The Craft
Five movements of silk
01
Wrapping the Silk
Boiled silk thread is wound, strand by strand, around fine copper wire.
02
Rolling the Band
The wound wire is rolled into even velvet bands — the raw cloth of every petal.
03
Cutting the Petal
Each band is cut into petal forms, no two alike, guided only by the artisan's eye.
04
Trimming the Curve
Scissors shape the velvet's bloom, petal by petal, until it holds the light like a living flower.
05
Assembling the Bloom
Petals, leaves, pearls and stone are bound into a single, numbered piece.
The Atelier
Our pieces are made by inheritors of this craft, working in the old manner. Their story, and their honours, will be shared here in their own words.