Traditional cotton-playing technology in China

In the Yuan Dynasty, Wang Zhen's "Agricultural Books, Agricultural Instruments and Fishing" contained: "At that time, cotton was beaten with kapok slingshots, and bamboo was used as the material, which was about four feet long; Hold the strings tight at both ends and use the county bow to play velvet. " When did Wenzhou start the exam? In the old society, many poor farmers and craftsmen in rural areas were forced by life to play cotton wadding in other places all the year round, commonly known as "playing cotton lang"

Elastic cotton actually refers to elastic cotton tires, and there are also elastic cotton mattresses (mats). After the cotton is sown, it is beaten with a bow, and the cotton with cotton quilt and cotton coat is processed to this step. For example, the cotton wool of my daughter's dowry used to be played with new cotton. Most people also reprocess old cotton. The tool for playing cotton has a big wooden bow with tendons as strings; There are also wooden pestles, shovels, millstones and so on. When playing, the strings are often struck with a wooden pestle, so that the cotton on the piano board becomes loose gradually. Subsequently, two people woven both sides of the cotton wool into a net with yarns vertically and horizontally, and fixed the cotton wool. After the gauze is finished, press it with a wooden tray to make it smooth, firm and firm. According to folklore, the yarn used is generally white. However, the cotton wool as a dowry must be red and green yarn to show good luck. If the old cotton bounces again, it must first remove the old yarn on the surface, then roll it into a bundle, hold it with both hands on the shovel head covered with nails, and then bounce it with a bow.

Since the reform and opening up, tens of thousands of modern Wenzhou people have gone abroad to start businesses. They traveled all the year round in urban and rural areas of China, and made great contributions to the establishment of "Wenzhou Model". This is the inheritance of Wenzhou people's pioneering spirit represented by Mianlang.

Nowadays, hand-made cotton plays are gradually replaced by machinery and have been reduced. However, due to the vast territory of China, hand-made cotton plays are still popular everywhere. Playing cotton is an ancient craft. Although there are few cities now, people over 40 will have a clear memory of "playing cotton". The strings rang, the flowers flew, and finally, a pile of cotton was pressed into a neat quilt, as if it were a kind of magic, which surprised the children. At that time, cotton-playing craftsmen also walked the streets and lanes, and their business was overwhelmed.

In the eyes of laymen, playing cotton is a very interesting thing, and these tools are quite distinctive. Playing cotton has a special bow, which can be long or short according to personal habits. Tap the string on the bow with a hammer, and we can get cotton and turn it into a square. It is they who make the iconic sound of playing cotton that we hear. This is the most basic tool for playing cotton, and it is this "bow" that sorts cotton.

"Sandalwood hammer, Chinese fir tip; The golden rooster crows the dawn, and the snowflake falls. "This is an interpretation of cotton-playing craftsmen's own craft, and it is also the most vivid metaphor for people's labor. Lao Manjiang is not good at words, but he is not careless about his work. Playing cotton is not only laborious, but also a delicate job. It takes a lot of effort to knock the bow, and "online" is a meticulous work, which can only be completed by Jiang Laohan and his wife. The quilt will form a small pattern.

Finally, after repeated grinding and a whole set of techniques, a warm quilt was finished in the hands of the craftsman. From playing and spelling to painting and smoothing, it seems simple, but it takes a lot of time to do it. With such a skilled craft, Jiang Laohan can only play one or two pieces a day.

Since the end of last century, the ancient craft of playing cotton has gradually faded out of people's sight. Because of the development and progress of society, people make not only old cotton wool and cotton tires, but also various colorful acrylic quilts and nine-hole quilts. Most people still agree with these convenient, simple and warm things. At the same time, the technology of playing cotton is gradually replaced by mechanized operation. This is a mechanical chemical plant, and its production efficiency is dozens of times that of craftsmen.

Playing cotton is a very old craft, even in modern life, we can't live without it. Because, even the old, hard and black cotton wool, once bounced again, is as white as new, as soft as new, amazing. Gardeners work hard and the dust is heavy. Many people work outdoors. Just find a corner or make a shed and you can start business. Few people want to engage in this profession.