Zhang Qilin and his Soviet-style "Kirin cage"

In early spring, before the ice and snow melted, the Grand Canal, which has been waiting for Suzhou people since ancient times, flowed quietly. Zhang Qilin, a traditional craftsman who continues the ancient method of making birdcages, is hiding in the ancient city of Suzhou. I had the honor of knowing and visiting him and visiting his studio. If he didn't meet me at the door, I might not find this place. Zhang Qilin likes quiet space and works alone every day, but when his friends visit, he always warmly receives and introduces his carefully designed birdcage. Zhang Qilin has been very clever since he was a child. As soon as he saw it, he basically knew what to do. Zhang Qilin always remembers the scene of her grandmother knitting a bamboo basket. His father-in-law, Yan Jinhu, is a bird cage master of "Nanlong Taidou". In their hands, the birdcage itself has surpassed the practical function of raising birds and become a veritable work of art. Zhang Qilin's birdcage making technology didn't come out of thin air overnight. Without the previous accumulation, there would be no exquisite skills he has now. In the production of Su-style birdcage, he has his own place and embodies the beauty of traditional Su-style products with his own skills. Bird cage technology is a comprehensive aesthetic, which integrates lines, handicrafts, sculpture, copper products, lacquer art, wood products and composition art. Bird cage is not so much a culture as a cultural carrier. It is a cultural complex, bearing the handicraft culture, sculpture culture, totem culture, class culture and so on.

Bird cages are produced for the need of keeping birds. Raising birds is a leisure culture. No matter which city you go to, you can see some people who like to keep and walk birds, holding birds in cages, drinking tea and chatting in the alleys of parks and under the trees by the lake. Birds have aura and are friends of human beings. Keeping birds requires cages. A good birdcage is not only a necessity for raising birds, but also a work of art for collection and appreciation. Leisure is a state of human life, not only to find happiness, but also to find the meaning of life. In the fast-paced life, people are more and more impetuous and need some leisure activities to relax their body and mind. In the process of excavating the traditional intangible culture, we have found the skills of making birdcages and serving the leisure culture. By excavating the connotation of this kind of leisure activities, people can slow down, enjoy life and relax physically and mentally. Behind the small birdcage, there is a profound cultural world hidden. There is no clear record of the origin of the earliest bird keeping in China, and there were records of bird keeping in the Tang and Song Dynasties. Bird cages were recorded in the Yuan Dynasty, and Tao recorded Zhan Cheng, the master of cage making, in the Record of Dropping out of Farming in Yuan Dynasty. In the middle of the Qing Dynasty, the national strength was strong, the people were rich, and all kinds of culture and art flourished unprecedentedly. Among them, caging birds has become one of the important leisure activities. The beautifully carved ornamental birdcage is a symbol of wealth. Today, birdcage watching has become a leisure sport for the general public, and its application in landscape decoration has also become an important part of public leisure and entertainment. The ornamental birdcages in Ming and Qing dynasties and the masterpieces with excellent craftsmanship that have been preserved so far have completely divorced from practical functions and become collectibles, and Kirin cage is one of them.

Bird cage production is mainly divided into two factions: North and South. The north is represented by Beijing, Tianjin, Shandong and other places, and the south is represented by Suzhou, Hangzhou, Guangdong and Sichuan. There is a mold in the north cage, and the material is hoop by the mold. Cages are mostly round. The two sides of the south cage are mostly arc-shaped, with various cage shapes, and they are good at carving bamboo with knives. Both the south cage and the middle cage are painted black or brown, and a cage is an exquisite handicraft. Belon is rough, mainly round or square, with lacquer varnish and yellow as the main tone. Different birds use different cages. The lark's cage is bigger than other cages, and there are three circles of widened soil files outside. There is no birdcage in the cage, but a circular earthen platform made of wood. Hong Niao's cage is strong, because it has a sharp mouth and sharp claws, and the cage is easily damaged. This cage must be specially made. In the traditional craft of birdcage, Suzhou-style birdcage made by Suzhou people has enjoyed a high reputation since ancient times. Su Zuo has enjoyed a high reputation since ancient times. According to historical records, Suzhou specializes in all kinds of alleys, carving jade and gold, carving wood and bamboo, carving lacquer and decorating, and adding embroidery to images. All kinds of Suzhou craftsmen have exquisite craftsmanship, which is called "Su Zuo". Suzhou craftsmen's mahogany furniture, bamboo and wood horn carvings, jade carvings and New Year pictures are unique in the world during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, which naturally led to a series of other arts and crafts in Suzhou, birdcages.

Soviet-style "Kirin cage"

Among birds, embroidered birds are small and elf, and their calls are very pleasant. There are many literati in Suzhou, and literati like to raise embroidered eyes. In the old society, the bird cage hanging at the door of the noble family was the "face" of the bird man. The words used by cage players are often "exquisite", "exquisite" and "exquisite". The production and decoration of birdcages are paid more attention to, and a good birdcage with a good bird is "tasteful". Bird cages are not only tools for people to raise birds, but also handicrafts and even antiques. Well-paid people ask famous cage manufacturers to customize birdcages. There was a saying in Suzhou in the old days that "scholars embroider their eyes, miss parrots and robbers thrush." Each has its own meaning. Su-style embroidered eye (carved) cage is a small bamboo birdcage, beautifully made, called plate cage, which means cage for training birds. The length and width are about 23cm, the upper and lower dimensions are the same, the height is 23cm, the column spacing is 1.3cm, and the bamboo column structure is slender. Take the square and its variant "official seal" as the basic shape. Miniature and exquisiteness are the characteristics of Nanpai birdcage. Carving and inlaying are very decorative and exquisite in workmanship. Zhang Qilin said that a top-class "embroidered eye" birdcage needs more than 20 processes, from material selection to glazing to final completion. The process seems simple, but in fact, there is learning everywhere, which can not be completed in just a few steps.

The art of choosing materials. Generally speaking, bamboo is the main raw material of Zhang Qilin craft birdcage, mainly using purple bamboo and yellow bamboo. Rarely used expensive materials are mahogany, rosewood and ivory, but their value is also the highest. Zhang Qilin showed me some information about Huang Huali, which was provided by a customer in Zhejiang and asked for a custom-made birdcage in Huang Huali. Zhang himself collected a birdcage made of ivory. That was many years ago, when ivory could still be processed. He was reluctant to sell it, so he took it himself. Most birdcages are made of bamboo for two reasons: First, tough bamboo is very suitable for arc machining of birdcage shape, and it also fully meets the requirements of birdcage modeling in function. Secondly, the production technology of birdcage comes from bamboo carving. Take the choice of bamboo as an example, not all bamboo can be used as a material for making birdcages. Zhang Qilin pointed to some bamboo pieces on the balcony and said that these were unqualified. It is best to use Phyllostachys pubescens from Tianmu Mountain in western Zhejiang, which is seven years old. Bamboo must be carried down the mountain to ensure that it will not be scratched. After bamboo is taken back, it is boiled in boiling water, which is a secret recipe of traditional Chinese medicine, so that the treated bamboo will not be moldy, moth-eaten or deformed, and the color of bamboo will become deeper and simpler.

The art of thread. Bird cage is a practical material and must have a certain cavity space. First of all, we must satisfy its practicality. The most important component of a birdcage is a cage bar, which must be made into a compact grid to prevent the beloved birds from flying out. Therefore, the grid of birdcage has become the basic composition of birdcage. The arrangement of cage bars determines the aesthetic degree of birdcage. Bird cage bars are generally divided into straight lines, large arcs and small arcs. Most of the south cages are linear bars, and the vertical bars on the cage side are arranged at equal intervals, and the top of the cage is arranged parallel to the bars on the cage side at equal intervals. Straight lines show infinite tension and direction in the simplest form. It is clear, concise, lively and sharp, and its influence on psychology is more concise and direct. Its image psychology has the characteristics of masculinity. Have a sense of modesty and loftiness, strong, straightforward, stubborn, stubborn. Cage bars stand at right angles to the horizontal line and become the basic framework of spatial structure. It has lofty and solemn characteristics. The neat and balanced arrangement of cage bars embodies a stable, unified and unified visual style. The interlacing of horizontal lines and vertical lines also forms large and small indoor interfaces, resulting in different angles and visual characteristics.

Sculpture art Wood carving is a kind of carving in China with a long history. The carving technique of birdcage was developed in Qianlong period of Qing Dynasty, mainly because Emperor Qianlong loved birdcages. The production of birdcage is no longer limited to practicality, and the aesthetic taste of birdcage is also constantly sublimated. Top birdcage artists in China made beautiful birdcages for the emperor. Under the influence of the emperor, the literati in Beijing followed suit, and so did the flag bearer. In recent years, economic development and the revival of ancient customs have made it possible to finely carve birdcages. The decorative art of birdcage follows the historical inheritance of China traditional folk art in form and develops in its specific field. Traditional folk back-to-back decoration symbolizes longevity. Bat means "Happiness is everywhere". Squirrel grape is a kind of bamboo carving pattern with Suzhou regional characteristics, which means that family children are endless and many children are blessed. Wan Ziwen is a symbol of the sun or fire, which means auspiciousness, happiness and longevity. Sanskrit means "auspicious place". When carving, clever use of some angles in the pattern gap can produce slim and beautiful effects and produce a different style. In the design, we can see the infinite universe and broad world outlook handed down from generation to generation by the Chinese nation, which not only presents a beautiful and peaceful form, but also endows the Chinese nation with the tradition of pursuing auspiciousness and peace.

Nanlong is a constructive assembly structure. After a series of production links, the angle of birdcage, the angle of cage column, the carving of door enclosure and the joint splicing of top bending file are all finely crafted. The rough bamboo in the mountain can only become an exquisite and elegant birdcage if it is cut vertically and horizontally, sawed into tubes, chopped into pieces, brazed into strips, cut into strips and drawn into silk. Although she has always attached great importance to details, Zhang Qilin always finds it difficult to meet her own requirements and achieve perfection. He said that although he has worked for decades, there are only a handful of works that can completely satisfy him. As a craftsman, Zhang attaches great importance to the preservation of traditional skills, but at the same time he is unwilling to copy them, hoping to give play to his creativity. Pay attention to innovation and the expression of one's own style and ideas. Just like the original umbrella, it is not a rain gear, but an appliance used by dignitaries to shade the sun and ward off evil spirits. At first, the birdcage was not only a cage for keeping birds, but also a manifestation of power. This square is in the shape of an ancient seal. It symbolizes power and prestige. Putting a birdcage in the study is gaining momentum, which is the expectation of literati's entry into WTO. Inherit the tradition, constantly learn from it, and strive to innovate. When these skills continue to mature, his unicorn cage can be released.

In fact, Zhang Qilin's main business is a senior mechanic in the factory, and his sideline is making birdcages. Although birdcage is his sideline, he is a first-class cage maker. Jin Sanwei, a famous cage maker in Suzhou during the Republic of China, still treasures his birdcage in Suzhou Museum. Interestingly, Jin Sanwei is not a full-time birdcage maker. He is a dentist, practicing medicine and running a clinic. As a result of fate, he became the son-in-law of the owner of the cage. As soon as he came into contact with this skill, he fell in love and liked it very much. At first, I helped my father-in-law, but later I was able to finish it independently. Today, Zhang Qilin has been independent and founded its own brand-Kirin Cage. Zhang Qilin continued to study and added new elements. Draw inspiration from other production techniques, pay special attention to the study and absorption of folk crafts, and try to make something distinctive. Constantly explore its profound cultural connotation, conform to the development of the times, innovate and be eclectic on the basis of tradition, and find its own way of inheritance, thus occupying a place in the cultural torrent. He began to try to cooperate with other craftsmen to embed gold and silver silk threads in the birdcage, which made the lines and texture of the whole birdcage more vivid.

Zhang Qilin's studio has 10 embroidered eyes, two thrushes and two hibernating turtles. His home is spotless, and the calligraphy and paintings presented to him by his friends hang on the wall of his studio. He said happily that this was given to him by a calligrapher, and they had never met. Suzhou small family is elegant and meticulous. Embroidering the eyes and singing in cantata reminds people of the greenery among the green mountains and bamboo forests. As a practical ornamental for people to raise birds and flowers, birdcage is a unique aesthetic value of bamboo. It is indomitable, upright and fearless of difficulties and adversity. Zhang Qilin told me that in fact, his life and work have experienced ups and downs, but he insisted on tradition, studied skills and pursued skills. He is silent and unknown. He is intentional when he is careful, and interesting when he is not careful, as if he were like his bamboo. He is indomitable and indomitable. Bird cage is not only an artifact, but also a work of art handed down from generation to generation. It is a rare cultural carrier, which embodies the almost perfect superb skills and creativity of craftsmen. It is one of China's characteristic cultures to hold it in a small birdcage, which is rich in China flavor and China's cheerful and leisure entertainment spirit. It has enriched the ordinary life of China people in their heyday for hundreds of years, and its cultural value cannot be quantified, which is more a kind of China spirit. The rise of raising birds has promoted the development of hand-made and carving technology. The collection value of bird cages is not lost to luxury sports cars at all. This collection trend makes China birdcage culture go out of China and into the world, and also makes the world know this ancient art culture from the East. As a traditional culture with a long history, the comprehensive value of birdcage far exceeds the economic, artistic and cultural values.

In early spring, the Grand Canal in the distance, the river that helps life flow, slowly turned into a beautiful decoration. The details of Excellence and meticulous and exquisite operation have been quietly breathing in the life of Gusu people since ancient times, guarding us and never being far away.