Burning glass used to be a unique skill of the imperial court in the old days. It is called "Beijing material ware". It is a 700 years old craft.
Feeder is one of the representative of the traditional arts and crafts in Beijing, originated in the yuan Ming, feeder, this name is also unique to Beijing, legend has it that emperor qianlong, felt a "glass" homophonic "displacement", have displaced, sounds very unlucky, and the "officer" material "vessels", called "feeder".
Chinese advanced craft artist, "Beijing material implement" the 6th generation successor xing lanxiang says to the reporter: "' lamp worker 'is the appellation to material implement maker, because Beijing material implement is the art in fire, make material implement cannot leave blowtorch. The tools used to make the material are very simple: a pair of tweezers, a lamp and various kinds of material rods. However, the simpler the tools are, the more necessary it is for the 'lampholder' to have sufficient experience and craft. In those days in Beijing material factory, apprentice 3 years ability start a division, if can make high-quality goods really, do not have experience of a few decades affirmation is not good. Feeder at the time of production, through the burner material bar tender, producers use tweezers in the hands of a rapid modeling, production is almost without thinking, not allow time to a molding, both to have answers, and his hands quickly and steadily, and to grasp the torch under-burnt clinker temperature, the fire small, material no ductility, fire big, ready to place, in front of the heated again. There is a little hesitation in the production, after the heat, the material bar can not be pulled up, the work is useless. For example, if you are a horse, the proportion must be coordinated. How long should the legs be? How should the joints be bent?
The most important feature of the material is its rich color, which can simulate the colors of various gemstones. Moreover, it is the best quality color among gemstones, such as coral red, beeswax yellow, turquoise blue, hawksbill purple, tourmaline powder, crystal white, ivory white, emerald green, pine green and so on. These colors can be found in the material. About the color of the device, there is a fun "the jade factory is one of the most famous' chains to live is to use the chain of the whole piece of jade carving out, if the chain is broken, and discard a piece of art, jade factory was looking for glassware factory repair, 'light workers will be according to the color of jade, bring up the corresponding material rod, connect seamlessly, for jade export save a lot of loss."
The modern transformation of traditional crafts
The development of traditional art, need to constantly innovation, feeder, in Beijing are mainly composed of animals and birds and flowers theme, XingLanXiang master first tried to use feeder production subjects, and then a large number of high-quality goods feeder, the dao lian figure "ZanHua maid figure" "Monkey King" "Japan dancer" and so on, created the Beijing feeder production figures.
Reporter discovery, now Beijing feeder, not only has eight steed, flowers miniascape, parrots, guo guo and other traditional subjects, also saw a lot of new subjects, such as Beijing snacks for design inspiration of the Beijing eight pieces of pendant, with hongshan jade pig dragon design style of the "Chinese zodiac" pendant, and made using traditional craft "peony" pendant.
"100 money" condole is dropped, the inspiration that is Chinese cabbage of jadeite jade to obtain, do not look to just be a small Chinese cabbage, used 4 kinds of different color to anticipate not only rod, and drew lessons from the glass of picture tube factory worker "concentric" technology, this kind of symmetrical modelling had never had in the material implement before.
"Every piece of Beijing ware is handmade and unique, which is loved by many young people. Nowadays, young people pursue individuality, and private customization is one of the biggest innovations of Beijing materials. Now, as long as customers bring drawings or even oral descriptions, 'lamp-makers' can make finished products according to requirements. Using the traditional material craft to make the action figures of stars, singers and movie stars is the unique skill after the innovation of Beijing material. Master xing lanxiang said, "from the 1960s to the 1980s, when Beijing was at its most brilliant, most of its products were exported to foreign countries and presented as state gifts to many countries. There are 800 employees in the factory and more than 3000 other businesses outside. After 1992, with the reform of the economic system, the original planned economic structure of industry and trade was broken, the factory not only to produce, but also to find their own market, eventually went bankrupt. Planned economy era, Beijing followed feeder production orders, at the time of the artistic creation and the market is out of art from the life, will be eliminated by age, artisans now must face the market, independent product design should not only have a Chinese traditional beauty, want to accord with the aesthetic need of modern young people again, Beijing feeder only through constant innovation to keep traditional art to life."