Beijing Folk Art (4)

cloisonné

According to Xia Gengqi, an associate researcher at the Palace Museum, since Jiaqing period, the cloisonne factory in the palace has gradually stopped produc

cloisonné

According to Xia Gengqi, an associate researcher at the Palace Museum, since Jiaqing period, the cloisonne factory in the palace has gradually stopped production. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, with the loss of royal craftsmen, cloisonne crafts began to "migrate" to folk workshops.

In the 26th year of Guangxu (1900), Eight-Nation Alliance invaded Beijing. Cloisonne was once again favored by westerners and began to be exported in large quantities. At this time, in addition to a few government-run enamel workshops, private firms also opened one after another, such as Li Tianlong, Jingyuan Hall, Zhiyuan Hall, etc., among which Li Tianlong is the most famous and the most refined in craftsmanship. According to the memory of Shuang Fushou, an old man who was an apprentice in Laotianli in his early years, Laotianli Factory is located in Baochanmiao Street, which was funded by foreigners in the late Qing Dynasty. It has the characteristics of western capitalist factories. Abortion, shredding, blue-burning, gold-plating and other processes are separated and completed by special personnel, and workers also have shuttle buses. Almost all products are exported. According to relevant records, during the period from 1923 to 1924, the annual transaction volume of the old Terry family reached150,000 yuan, employing more than 350 people and often employing odd jobs. Ma Lixin Street has its own shop and distribution offices in Shanghai and Hankou. Because the workers in Li Tianlong are mostly scattered folk and skilled enamel artists, the products basically inherit the technological level of the Qing Dynasty, and the inscription "Made in Li Tianlong" is printed on the base.

1904, the "Baoding Furnace" made by Old Terry won the first prize at the Chicago World Expo, 19 15, and won the first prize at the Panama World Expo. Cloisonne in China began to attract international attention. It is said that there were about 50 enamel factories in Beiping during the Republic of China, and five or six left inscriptions. At that time, cloisonne practical products began to appear in the domestic market, and the sales volume was very large. At the same time, businessmen from the United States, Britain, France and other countries also set up foreign firms in Beiping to buy cloisonne, and companies specializing in collecting cloisonne for foreigners appeared on Wangfujing Street.

From falling into a downturn to creating new glories.

Workers are operating the "blue burning" process. Similar steps to control temperature reflect the characteristics of handicraft production. Beijing Enamel Factory Co., Ltd. is the largest cloisonne factory with the longest history in China, and all the techniques can still guarantee the traditional level.

1937, the Japanese army launched a full-scale aggression against China, interrupted the export, and led to the closure of the enamel factory. Even if a workshop starts, their products are "ten blue and nine sand" and the quality is extremely poor. An old man who once set up a stall in Wang Haicun flea market lamented: "Cloisonne in Beijing has been busy for hundreds of years, and by that time it has disappeared."

Lin's student, Master Qian Meihua, the first professional designer of cloisonne in China, told the reporter that in the early days of liberation, the production of cloisonne was still completed in a low and dark workshop, with single products, simple patterns and monotonous colors. In order to save the cloisonne craft, the municipal government established Beijing Special Craft Company 1950 in June. Qian Meihua recalled that in 195 1, Liang Sicheng and Lin presided over the establishment of the Arts and Crafts Research Group of the Department of Architecture of Tsinghua University. Lin also led Qian Meihua and other students to folk workshops for investigation, starting from the processes of making tires, pinching silk, counting blue, etc., and getting familiar with the technology with the master. Under the guidance of Lin, the art troupe also designed many novel patterns with national style for cloisonne, which broke through the monotonous lotus and peony patterns in the past. The special arts company also set up a state-run special arts experimental factory at No.3 Magpie Hutong outside Chongwenmen to study and make cloisonne, and invited many cloisonne artists scattered among the people to participate in the experiment. Qian Meihua said that at that time, several old masters had been forced to switch to rickshaws, and tears filled their eyes when they were invited back to the factory.

With the successful trial production of new products, cloisonne "came back to life". From 65438 to 0956, 42 enamel workshops merged to form a public-private joint venture Beijing enamel factory. 1In June, 958, three enamel production cooperatives merged to form Beijing Cloisonne Factory, which was renamed Beijing Arts and Crafts Factory in the same year. In June 5438+10 of the same year, the state-owned cloisonne experimental factory was merged into the public-private joint venture Beijing enamel factory, and the state-owned Beijing enamel factory was established. Since then, two state-owned factories have started the "Kanggan Prosperity" of Cloisonne after liberation.

Mi Zhenxiong commented that cloisonne was "a hero who made great contributions to the country in difficult times". In 1960s and 1970s, many industries in China lagged behind other countries, and only handicrafts mainly made of cloisonne kept the trend of export in short supply.

At the beginning of 2005, after two years and tens of thousands of experiments, Mi Zhenxiong and Zhang Tonglu jointly produced "Eight Parts of Fobaolong", which made the casting process of fetal glaze, which had been lost for more than 200 years, reappear and became a great event in the industry. But at the same time, all kinds of cloisonne products under the banner of "Beijing Cloisonne" are enthusiastically sold in the "Old Beijing Street" in the new Dong 'an market or in tourist shops around major scenic spots, among which "Cloisonne" with prices ranging from several yuan to several tens of yuan is the most popular among tourists.