Shanghai is holding another unusual exhibition, dedicated to art of "fasteners." That's apparel accessories for holding things together. Curiosity seekers at the exhibition are treated to images of history, culture and aesthetics.

The fasteners are a far cry from what one normally conceives as fasteners.

They're made of cloth. All are the product of expert handiwork in weaving and embroidery. All of the exhibits were designed for the traditional Chinese women's dress called the qipao in the north of China, cheong-sam in the south. Each clasp was hand made and it took four days of work.

The fasteners take shapes that are quite distinctive, a porcelain vase, aspects of traditional Shanghai architecture and astronomical constellations.

The 2450 fasteners come in 157 styles. The number of styles and their distinctiveness has earned the collection a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.

The exhibition remains in Shanghai for two days. Then it travels to Beijing, Hong Kong and Europe.