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Threedimensional kites are combinations from these subtypes. You will be able to view examples of all four kite categories. Just click onto the appropriate links (you may order all kites shown). |
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1.
Centipede-Kites Centipedes are kites-trains with a dragon head and a train of equally dimensioned kite disks. Head and disks are interconnected with one, mostly three lines. Centipedes may have enormous tractive power. These kites gives an attractive and vivid in-flight view, especially when the wind moves and deforms the kite train. Centipedes with dragon heads are typical for this kind of kite and are a specialty of WeiFang(some examples). |
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2.
Hard-Winged-Kites Kites with hard wings have symmetrically arranged bamboo frames; the rigid central frame enhances the overall rigidity of the kite, as does the directly to the frame glued paper or silk covering. The two crossed tail spars do not form a complete frame. Thus the free moveing lower seam of the triangle, formed by the crossed bamboo spars and the kite sail, will arch and form a point of attack for the wind. Yangjiabu kites are a typical example for Kites with hard wings from WeiFang. The kite sail is made of paper or silk, and is coloured by woodcut and/or hand painted. Pictorial motives and kite forms are of local custom (some examples). |
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3.
Soft-Winged-Kites The wings of this kind of kites do have rigid upper rims. The lower sections of all these wings are flexible. Very often these kind of kites have more than one pair of wings, that are arranged one pair above the other. The kite on the left side is an example with two pairs of wings, representing a precious breed of a goldfish. Every single Wing has a rigid upper rim made of bamboo. Pictorial motives and forms represent all kind of birds, insects, fishes etc.. When floating in the wind these kites give a very vivid sight of flight (some examples). |
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4.
Flat-Kites Flat kites are constructed within a single plane, and are made of a complete rigid bamboo frame. All (four) sides of the frame or of the frame segements are limited by bamboo spars. These kites are very easy to fly. Most of them are flown with long tails to grant a stable in-flight behaviour. Flat kites are build in many forms and types, very often with pictorial motives from ancient myths and religious ideas, very ofthen with a picture of the ying-yang sign. The number of kite edges is often derived from the number four as a luck promising numeral. The examle on the left side has two by four edges and is therefore named "eight-orclediagram-kite" (some examples). |
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4. Mini-Kites Minikites may be made within any category of kites. Minikites nevertheless have a special chapter within this website, because of their special features besides their tininess. At first, it is the sometimes different material used to build them, and of course the special features in the process of building them. Even the way to fly them is different. Due to their tiny size, they must be built extremely symmetrical, as they are very susceptible to any kind of disturbance of air movements. |
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All kites within our online exhibition are not part of our retail offer. If you are interested in buying one of these pieces of genuine traditional Chinese culture, please drop us a line. Do not forget to specify the relevant features of your kite in mind. Please use the order numbers. We will try our best to ask our kitemaker to reproduce the exhibited kite. Please take into account, that time of delivery may be longer than expected! |
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