Intangible culture with Related Tags
Filigree inlay making technique
Filigree inlay is a traditional palace handicraft, which mainly uses gold, silver and other materials, and is made into handicrafts through processes such as inlaying gems, pearls or weaving. The filigree inlay process is complicated, and can be roughly divided into eight techniques: pinching, filling, accumulating, welding, piling, stacking, weaving and braiding. It has exquisite skills, beautiful shapes, and various patterns, and has traditional artistic characteristics. Filigree inlay products are generally divided into two categories: one is filigree, that is, gold and silver are drawn into thin wires, and handicrafts are made by stacking, weaving and other techniques; the other is inlay, that is, gold and silver thin sheets are hammered into utensils, and then engraved with patterns and inlaid with gems and pearls. Filigree inlay has a long history. It appeared as early as the Spring and Autumn Period and reached a superb level in the Ming Dynasty. After the Qing Dynasty, filigree inlay has developed further, and fine products have continued to emerge, which is famous at home and abroad. The filigree inlay techniques of Beijing and Dachang Hui Autonomous County, Hebei Province are remarkable and the most famous in the industry. Beijing filigree inlay is known for its weaving and stacking, and often uses the kingfisher feather technique, that is, the blue-green feathers of the kingfisher are attached to gold and silver products to enhance the artistic effect. Most of the filigree inlay craftsmen in old Beijing live in Tongzhou. The Beijing Filigree Inlay Factory, established in 1958, is the main manufacturer of Beijing filigree inlay handicrafts, and its products are mostly exported. In the late 1980s, the factory's export volume dropped sharply and it showed a decline. In 2002, the Beijing Filigree Inlay Factory declared bankruptcy. Now, Beijing filigree inlay skills have no successors, and many unique skills have been lost and urgently need to be rescued. The filigree inlay production skills of Dachang Hui Autonomous County, Hebei Province, have already begun to show signs in the Han Dynasty. During the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty moved the capital to Beijing, and the gold and silver craftsmen from the Western Regions moved north with him and settled in the Hui-populated areas of Dachang. They brought traditional Persian patterns and handicrafts, raising the filigree inlay skills to a new level. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Dachang filigree inlay developed rapidly, and its products were designated as tribute by the court. The filigree inlay craftsmanship in Dachang is complex. The entire production process includes design, cutting, making tires, tracing, marking, making wires, gluing wires, welding wires, acid (strong acid) work, washing work, stone selection, gluing, combination, gold plating, silver plating and other processes. The products have diverse shapes, rich patterns, and are well-made, with high artistic value. In the past, the filigree inlay production skills in Dachang were mostly taught by fathers and sons, and later the master-apprentice inheritance method appeared. The late Mongolian stone inlay master Ma Zuowen once brought his disciples to produce filigree inlay crafts such as "Potala Palace" and "Golden Seal of the 12th Panchen Lama", which became famous for a while. In recent years, affected by the impact of the market economy, many filigree craft factories have closed down, causing craftsmen to lose confidence and enthusiasm for traditional crafts. The filigree inlay production skills are in danger of being lost, and it has become an urgent task to discover, rescue and protect this precious traditional handicraft.
Filigree inlay making technique
Filigree inlay is a traditional palace handicraft, which mainly uses gold, silver and other materials, and is made into handicrafts through processes such as inlaying gems, pearls or weaving. The filigree inlay process is complicated, and can be roughly divided into eight techniques: pinching, filling, accumulating, welding, piling, stacking, weaving and braiding. It has exquisite skills, beautiful shapes, and various patterns, and has traditional artistic characteristics. Filigree inlay products are generally divided into two categories: one is filigree, that is, gold and silver are drawn into thin wires, and handicrafts are made by stacking, weaving and other techniques; the other is inlay, that is, gold and silver thin sheets are hammered into utensils, and then engraved with patterns and inlaid with gems and pearls. Filigree inlay has a long history. It appeared as early as the Spring and Autumn Period and reached a superb level in the Ming Dynasty. After the Qing Dynasty, filigree inlay has developed further, and fine products have continued to emerge, which is famous at home and abroad. The filigree inlay techniques of Beijing and Dachang Hui Autonomous County, Hebei Province are remarkable and the most famous in the industry. Beijing filigree inlay is known for its weaving and stacking, and often uses the kingfisher feather technique, that is, the blue-green feathers of the kingfisher are attached to gold and silver products to enhance the artistic effect. Most of the filigree inlay craftsmen in old Beijing live in Tongzhou. The Beijing Filigree Inlay Factory, established in 1958, is the main manufacturer of Beijing filigree inlay handicrafts, and its products are mostly exported. In the late 1980s, the factory's export volume dropped sharply and it showed a decline. In 2002, the Beijing Filigree Inlay Factory declared bankruptcy. Now, Beijing filigree inlay skills have no successors, and many unique skills have been lost and urgently need to be rescued. The filigree inlay production skills of Dachang Hui Autonomous County, Hebei Province, have already begun to show signs in the Han Dynasty. During the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty moved the capital to Beijing, and the gold and silver craftsmen from the Western Regions moved north with him and settled in the Hui-populated areas of Dachang. They brought traditional Persian patterns and handicrafts, raising the filigree inlay skills to a new level. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Dachang filigree inlay developed rapidly, and its products were designated as tribute by the court. The filigree inlay craftsmanship in Dachang is complex. The entire production process includes design, cutting, making tires, tracing, marking, making wires, gluing wires, welding wires, acid (strong acid) work, washing work, stone selection, gluing, combination, gold plating, silver plating and other processes. The products have diverse shapes, rich patterns, and are well-made, with high artistic value. In the past, the filigree inlay production skills in Dachang were mostly taught by fathers and sons, and later the master-apprentice inheritance method appeared. The late Mongolian stone inlay master Ma Zuowen once brought his disciples to produce filigree inlay crafts such as "Potala Palace" and "Golden Seal of the 12th Panchen Lama", which became famous for a while. In recent years, affected by the impact of the market economy, many filigree craft factories have closed down, causing craftsmen to lose confidence and enthusiasm for traditional crafts. The filigree inlay production skills are in danger of being lost, and it has become an urgent task to discover, rescue and protect this precious traditional handicraft.