Lantian jade carving status quo

Jade carving is a technical and artistic work. The dexterous hands of the jade carving master created a piece of jade carving art that exquisitely crafted. However, due to the reduction in the number of jade carving practitioners and the difficulty in the inheritance of jade carving techniques, jade sculptures in many areas such as Lantian jade carvings are in crisis.

"Intangible Cultural Heritage Series Report"

As a famous cultural province in China, Shaanxi has a vast historical and cultural heritage, including intangible cultural heritage. Xi'an has built a city for more than 3,000 years and has left a rich intangible cultural heritage for humanity. These precious cultural treasures have played an important role in the development of Xi'an. However, with the passage of time, some of the heritage are in the difficult inheritance. Gradually fade out of people's sights, salvage and carry forward these cultural heritage should be our glorious mission and responsibility.

In the past few days, this reporter has conducted in-depth investigations on a number of intangible cultural heritage projects. Starting today, this newspaper will successively publish a series of articles on Shaanxi's intangible cultural heritage reports. When we really approached the lives of these old craftsmen and old artists, we suddenly realized that the original precious culture was in the lanes and lanes of the city, in the lives of the people.

Lantian jade carving process has a long history and enjoys a good reputation both at home and abroad. It has been declared as a non-material cultural heritage project in Shaanxi Province. However, many old jade craftsmen who are engaged in Lantian jade carvings now have a high age, and the contradiction between the status quo of jade carving craftsmanship and market demand is gradually exposed. According to industry sources, the lack of jade carving masters and the market's weakness led to the development of Lantian jade carvings. Perhaps taking the road of industrialization is the direction of Lantian jade carvings' future development.

The London Olympic Games reminded many people of the Beijing Olympic Games four years ago. That summer left people with a lot of memories of the Humanistic Olympics. The Chinese printing that was called "Dancing in Beijing" was a profound interpretation of the Chinese people's "Jade". Deep feelings. Lantian County, not far from Xi'an City, is famous not only for jade but also for jade carving. The poet Li Shangyin's "The Pearl of the Sea and the Moon, Tears, Lam Tin, and the Japanese Warm Jade Smoke," make Lan Tian Mei Yu's poetic infinity.

Jade Carvings in the Jade Hometown Confusion On July 25th, the 8th day after the ambush, 3pm was the time when the sun was the most devastating. Various jade shops on the streets of Lantian County opened the door and waited for customers. Whether it is a magnificent large jade carving outside the shop or a small, exquisite decoration in the showcase, Lantian jade carving displays its own jade culture in a unique way.

The master craftsman of Shaanxi Province and the inheritor of Lam Tin jade carving intangible heritage are looking for a jade shop opened by the elderly. It is located at the high-speed intersection from Xi'an to Lantian county. There are many jades waiting for sale at the store, but not all of them are from the hands of the elderly. The family members of the old man said: "The jade carvings that can be called handicrafts are all lively and the old man can't be carved. The jade ornaments in the shop are carved by the craftsmen in the factory, and they come in from the outside."

Perhaps this sentence is the microcosm of the entire Lantian jade carving. There are not many jade carving masters, and the finest crafts are limited. The jade carving craftsmen constantly produce in the factory, but the jade jewelry shop has to purchase from the field in order to attract more tourists.

According to records of Lantian County, Lantianyu has been used for thousands of years since it was exploited. In 2004, it was also awarded the “Protected Product Protection” project by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine. According to historical records, the emerald seals of Emperor Qinshihuang, the jade tools of the Neolithic Age, and the jade ribbons and jade ribbons of Yang Guixi were all made with Lantian jade. The Tang Dynasty was the most prosperous period for the development of Lan Tianyu. “Lantian jade carving has had a decisive period and was regained after the reform and opening up. After private management of jade, many people sold jade carvings as ordinary commodities. In fact, jade carvings are works of art and are unique. Positioning is not clear without forming a market, our brand The appeal is not so strong, said Xu Guangli, deputy director of the Economic and Trade Bureau of Lantian County and president of the Yuxian Association of County.

Many craftsmen have too few jade carving masters. Lan Tianyu is commonly known as “vegetable jade,” and Xinjiang’s “Hetian jade,” Liaoning’s “Jade jade,” and Henan’s “single jade,” and he calls China’s “four famous jades.” Lam Tin jade is rich in color, white, black, yellow, green, blue, and red are the six colors that make it full of jade, luster, luster, and rich mineral deposits, but the market value of jade carvings is not high. "Lam Tin jade craftsmanship is too few technicians, low awareness of the outside world is the main problem we face. The most important thing is the inheritance of craftsmanship, there is no good mechanic, and there is no good material is also useless. The economic income of jade carving is unstable and the effect is slow. Causes many people to persist, and they don’t want to bother thinking, and the artwork is less creative,” said Xu Guangli.

Xu Guangli introduced that since the reform and opening up, Lantian County has started a state-owned jade factory. Since then, only a few dozen jade carving masters have been established in the county, and there are more than 300 jade carving technicians, including some foreign masters. Under such technical conditions, there are more than 160 jade processing companies in Lam Tin. There are more than 400 jade stores and more than 3,000 employees. Master Yang, who is doing the jade business, said: "I feel we are more craftsmen now and there are fewer jade carving masters."

The title of the inheritor was built in the backyard of the jade factory in Lantian County in the 1980s. There was an adobe house. When walking along the path to the house, the machine grinds the jade gradually. After opening the curtain, the inheritor of the 69-year-old Lam Tin jade carving intangible cultural heritage sought Lin to wear old reading glasses and concentratedly carved the jade under the water mill. The carved jade carvings of the old man's hands are called “Lonely Shuguang Sleeve.” The large uniform white jade is the main body. The contours of the Chinese spacecraft and the dragonfly have already appeared, and the emerald green part of the lower part is just carved into the branches of the laurel tree. This one-foot-tall elderly man has been carving for half a month. He wanted to use this piece to participate in the next year's Shaanxi Province's first-level craft artist.

“There are not many people who study jade carving, and most people do not have good culture, art, and carving skills. Young people are eager to seek success in carving fine art.” The old man is very worried about the lack of jade craftsmen at present, and his grandson high school. After graduating, I want to study sculpture in the Academy of Fine Arts. He thought that grandchildren would also go to Yangzhou and Suzhou in the future. The jade carvings there not only exquisite workmanship, but also create creativity. After inheriting the Lantian jade carving craftsmanship, they will learn about the strengths of other local jade carvings. it is good.

As an inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage, the old man in search of Lin Lin feels that her responsibility is heavy. “This is everyone's affirmation of me. Since being judged as 'Master', it is necessary to sculpt a level-matching work that is worthy of the title of Lam Tin Jade Carving and Master of Arts and Crafts. On the other hand, I’m older and how the handiwork is inherited. It's a problem that I can't rest assured.” The old man said while squeezing his hands.

Yu Yang Yu can get out of the new road Yang Bo is a chairman of Lantian, a jade industry Development Co., Ltd., is also a master of arts and crafts in Shaanxi Province, in 2009 he opened up a new path, started to buy jade culture gift business.

On the wall of the office, Yang Bo placed a picture of the image of the two Lam Tin Jade Cultural Buildings. “This is my dream. Our Lantian jade has a high cultural content. If we can build a jade culture building in the future, we will show this historical source to the world.” Yang Bo said that his gift company already has a market. This is He took a step-by-step approach to industrialization. "The benefits of the company in recent years have been on an upward trend, and there will be a series of industrialization development plans in the future."

Starting from making cultural gifts in 2009, Yang Bo calculated that he would hire a professor from the Academy of Fine Arts to design and enter ideas for his products. “Industrialization includes raw material extraction, design, processing, packaging, sales, etc. Packaging is now done by companies in Guangdong, and in the future I hope to develop local packaging and form an industrial chain.” He said that the market is very Loose, only to establish a formal market for unified management, Lantian jade carving brand in the market to establish a foothold in the climate.

Marketization and industrialization are also problems that Xu Guangli has been pondering. He disclosed that the government of Lantian County is currently planning a northwestern jade market. “The government intends to invest 3 billion yuan in this jade market covering an area of ​​400 acres. It intends to be positioned as A destination for Xi'an tourism.” Xu Guangli said.

Yang Bo's success is related to the accurate positioning of his products. His company did not leave behind high-end artworks when they produced handicrafts. “Artwork is a product that brings economic benefits. High-end artworks need to work slowly. I have limited human resources. If the industrialization of Lantian jade carvings can be developed, we will be able to provide jade arts and crafts to provide high-end art. For me personally, when the economic situation is better in the future, I also want to subsidize the old artists and let them feel comfortable doing art, even if only one work is submitted in one year.”

Whether it is to find Lin Lin, Yang Bo or Xu Guangli, they are trying hard to retain Lam Tin jade carving craftsmanship and exploration. It is precisely because of these people that Lantian jade carvings can be handed down in the long river of history.