Boxing clever

The Tianjin native, who just turned 50, is a local inheritor of the craft. He was born into a family of collectors of cultural items and, as a result, has been predisposed to ancient relics since childhood.

"I was particularly attracted to the color and delicate structure of those boxes that hold the treasures," Gao recalls.

His interest grew as his appreciation for art developed and it led him to pursue a career making the historical packing boxes.

Having studied and explored the knowledge and skills of cultural relic repair and binding for years, Gao managed to establish his own studio at a local cultural street in 2008.

"I mainly take care of, and manage, cultural relics for clients," he says. "When a client brings an item to me, he needs me to design and make a corresponding box based on the category and quality of the artifact.

"If it is damaged, I also need to repair it, and if there are any placement requirements, I need to match it with a base," he adds.

Gao considers it a process of artistic re-creation, and he takes it as his mission to deliver a complete work of art.

The process of making an artistic container involves several preliminary steps, including conceptualizing the design, sketching the blueprint, and choosing the materials.