In the category of contemporary archaeology, the transparent is called "glass", the opaque is called "material", and the translucent is called "glass". This distinction has only become popular in modern times, and in many ancient Chinese documents, there are many names for glass, such as Lu Li, Lu Lin, Yaoyu, Wall Glass, Langxuan, and so on.

Let's first take a look at the composition of these three components, glaze is a technical derivative of the "faience" in ancient times, faience can be called the original glaze, which first appeared in Mesopotamia and Syria in 3000 BC.

The main component of glaze is silica fired at low temperature (no more than 1600 °) in the kiln, and the more popular glazed building components and glazed beads in the Ming and Qing dynasties are made by high lead (flux) low temperature process.

Due to the limitation of the firing technology at that time, the firing temperature of some ancient glaze is only about 1000 degrees, and the melting point of quartz is basically about 1700 °, and the melting point can only be about 1200 ° when adding flux, and only a small part of the quartz crystals can be melted into a glass state, so on some ancient glaze, you can see a lot of quartz crystals with a magnifying glass.

The word glass is used extensively and appears in a large number of documents from the Song Dynasty. In the Song Dynasty, a large number of transparent glassware imported from the West appeared, which was reflected in the poems: Su Shi's anthology had "Twenty-four bridges are also there, in exchange for this ten acres of glass wind", "Drunken Yao Pond" wrote that "a little red and yellow eyebrows are showy, and the glass is full of Changsheng wine", Su Shi's anthology of poems about glaze: "Looking back at ancient Hezhou, it belongs to this glazed bell", about medicinal jade: "Try Kaiyunmeng Lamb's wine, fast Qiantang medicinal jade boat", it can be seen that in the Song Dynasty, in fact, people at that time were able to distinguish between glass and glaze.

Feedware generally refers to utensils or handicrafts made of glazed glass raw materials, and the production of materials in China began around the end of the Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of the Ming Dynasty. The material ware is different from glass and glass should be distinguished from the technological process, and the production of material in the Ming and Qing dynasties is most famous in Beijing and Boshan, Shandong.

Shandong Boshan material ware enjoys the name of "Boshan art glass". Boshan material ware is famous for imitation jade, agate, coral, etc., and the modern material generally refers to small objects such as snuff bottles, small animal pieces, etc., which are made of glass as raw materials and inlay, whitewash, calligraphy and painting, rather than beads.

The main component of ancient glass is silica, and the biggest difference between it and glass is: glass is a silica crystal structure, and glass is a silica molten structure, due to the limited technology of ancient glass production, it cannot reach a temperature of 1700 degrees Celsius, so it is impossible to melt silica crystals into glass, so the glass will not appear "weathering lines", recall that the glass marbles played when I was a child, how will there be no "weathering lines", but only the whole piece of bumps, but the glass is not, Weathering lines will appear on the surface of old glaze.

The feeder is a traditional handicraft in Beijing. That is, traditional handicrafts made from frit strips. There was no direct firing of frit industry in Beijing, and the materials used were collected from Boshan, Zibo, Shandong Province (formerly Yanshen Town), and after being heated and softened at low temperature, they were made into zodiac, melons and fruits and other desk furnishings, or as children's toys.

It began in the Yuan Dynasty and developed from the Ming to the Qing Dynasty, the most distinctive of which is the snuff bottle, which is more famous for the Beijing snuff bottle in the Qianlong (1736~1795) era of the Qing Dynasty, when there was a store specializing in the production of snuff bottles.

As an ancient traditional craft, Beijing material began in the Ming Dynasty and was passed down from Boshan County, Shandong. The original Beijing ware was dominated by small ornaments, such as beads, earrings, chest ornaments, buttons, etc., as well as large items such as lamps and fish tanks. According to the Ming Dynasty's "Imperial Scenery", it is recorded: "When the lantern is opened to the sunset, the lamp burns the ball, and the filament is sandwiched with paintings, piled up with ink, etc."

It can be seen that at that time, there were fired material fixed ball lamps at the fifteenth Lantern Festival of the first lunar month in Beijing, and there were already painted filament lamps. During the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty (1662-1722), the emperor ordered the Ministry of Engineering to set up an imperial factory in Beijing Jingliuli Factory to manufacture materials for the inner court, which was called "palace material" and "imperial glaze". At this time, the production process of the feeder has become more and more refined, and the ornamental value of the work has been enhanced. The representative works include "Zodiac", which are realistic and vivid.

Today, Beijing material products have reached more than 800 varieties of colors, including figures, hanging screens, smoking sets, bonsai, flowers, birds, fish and insects, as well as hat flowers, material beads, etc., vivid shapes, arousing love.

The feeder bonsai produced by Beijing Feeder Factory has won the Silver Cup Award in the 5th China Craft Hundred Flowers Award.

Beijing material handicrafts have a history of more than 200 years. In the Qing Dynasty, it was processed with "Beijing material" (i.e., Boshan material); After the Republic of China, it was changed to "foreign materials" (provided by foreign companies) for processing; After the outbreak of the Pacific War, artists began to make their own materials, which could be mass-produced into finished products.

The varieties of material products were relatively single at the beginning, imitating jewelry stones of various shapes and supplying jewelry buildings for use. After liberation, a single small handicraft was made one after another. After the establishment of the factory, we have strengthened the management of science and technology from the technical point of view, unified the formula, reduced the explosion damage, and returned to alkali, so that the products have increased new varieties year by year, such as melons, fruits and vegetables, birds, beasts and flowers, bonsai utensils, especially the color of various imitation jade is more prominent.

The raw materials of the feeder, various colors of imitation jade sticks, mainly inorganic silicate quartz sand and soda ash, and then with various metal oxides, such as lead, zinc, copper, aluminum, magnesium, etc., are combined in proportion, melted by a crucible boiler, and drawn by hand.

Artists choose different colors of sticks according to their needs, and then shape them after being softened by the lights to make vivid and exquisite handicrafts. This is basically the same as the production of glass products, the difference is that the feeder is high-lead and low-melting glass, which has more to do with glass, pottery, and cloisonné.

Generally speaking, the ratio of glass depends on the specific gravity of quartz powder and soda ash to determine the melting temperature, such as quartz glass with a large proportion of quartz powder, which needs to be melted at high temperature before the furnace can be processed; The ratio of the feeder, less quartz powder, large amount of soda ash, the melting temperature is much lower than the quartz glass, and the material stick is softened by the lamper, which is convenient for the artist to shape.

The production process of the material stick is the same as the production process of glass, ceramics and cloisonné glaze, the difference is that the material stick can be directly processed by secondary light, and all kinds of glazes should be processed and ground separately, and then burned and formed after being coated on stoneware, fine porcelain and copper tires.

From the above introduction, it can be seen that glass, feeder, and glaze are actually silicate products, and the essence is the same. The difference is only in the ratio of excipients. The glass color is single, strong and transparent, so the proportion of quartz powder is significant; The feeder is multi-colored, bright and exquisite, and it is easy to operate manually, so it is necessary to add lead and alkali to strengthen the coloring and reduce the softening temperature; The glaze is settled on all kinds of tire shapes, so it is required to be diverse and bright, and it must be required to be firmly fixed on the tire shape when the temperature is not high. Therefore, the feeder is related to glass, but it is more closely related to glaze.

It can be said that Beijing material ware started from making fake goods (imitation stone), after many years of experience accumulation of artists, the use of modern scientific and technological means, increase color, reduce explosion damage and alkali return, so that today's material can be free to imitate all kinds of high-end jade and gemstones, become an independent art category, welcomed by the domestic and foreign collection circles.

It is made of silicates and other metal oxides that exist in large quantities in nature as raw materials, melted at high temperatures, pulled into various specifications of sticks, and then burned on the lamp with sticks and processed by hand. The shape of the feeder product is mainly in the lamp worker.

The artist uses various colored sticks to grill on the lamp, and after softening, he quickly kneads and molds, using simple small tools to sometimes pull, sometimes stick, sometimes with scissors to hinge, sometimes with tweezers to pull, to create works of different shapes.

Thanks to his special technique, the works he makes are generally full of fine bubbles, especially between translucent and transparent. Compared with the glaze, the feeder has no bottom tire, and it is an improvised work that the artist completes at one time in the fire.

Compared with glass, the melting point of the feeder is relatively low, the proportion is significant, the color is more and brighter, the variety is rich and colorful, there are transparent material beasts, hanging screens, smoking utensils, bonsai, flowers, birds, fish and insects, as well as rings, hat flowers, material beads, etc., the shape is vivid and cute, among which the birds and beasts of the material vessel are imitated into jade, jade, agate, coral, etc. by traditional techniques, the color is realistic, and it has a unique style and charm.

At the earliest, when the material artist was working, he used edible vegetable oil and rush grass oil lamp, in order to make the lamp bright and change to horizontal burning, he had to put a thin glass tube in his mouth when he was working, and blow air to the fire from the side to warm the barbecue stick, so the material artist got a common name of "blowing work".

By the end of the 20s of the 19th century, it was changed to using air cylinders, and the production environment was very harsh, and vegetable oil was wasted. It was not until 1965, after the construction of the new production building of the Beijing Feeder Factory, that the production was switched to gas blowtorches, and this production method has continued to this day.

In terms of processing techniques, the production of material utensils such as birds and beasts, and flowers is not difficult, and insiders describe that it is similar to the technique of pinching candy people, mainly because of the artist's grasp of various animals and other forms.

The key technology lies in the ingredients, that is, the recipe for making the sticks. Generally speaking, the feeder is the same as glass and glass, silicates and other metal oxides, but for different works, the metal oxides added are different, and sometimes even some precious metals such as gold and silver have to be added.

Chen Dehai, an old artist of the material factory, once used the material to imitate the "Tang Sancai", "bronze" and other cultural relics, its vivid shape and simple and realistic texture, left a deep impression on people, the premise of making this kind of work is the preparation of its materials.

It is difficult to see the variety of "Gu Yuexuan" exterior painting material ware in the world, because the people who are now engaged in the production of material ware do not master the material formula and processing technology, and cannot make it. The fine products of the early material industry were gradually forgotten.

Beijing materials to the Ming and Qing dynasties can be regarded as the heyday, the folk materials and utensils are mostly concentrated in the flower market area, becoming one of Beijing's unique handicrafts. It is clearly recorded that in the 20th year of Daoguang of the Qing Dynasty (1840), Zhang Kun, an artist of material utensils in Beijing, and his apprentice Jia Fulai used the "Guang material" produced in Shandong and the "foreign material" produced in Japan to burn the ring face stone, sharp stone and twist needle and send it to the jewelry building for export.

In 1930, Zhao Jiugao, a folk artist in Beijing, co-founded the "Siyi Gonghao" chemical workshop in the flower market, specializing in the production of material sticks, ending the history of Beijing's materials must be "wide materials" and "foreign materials". In the same year, Jiang Wenliang (Jiang Er), a Beijing materializer, opened the "Zhiyuanhao" materialware workshop in the flower market, and Wang Fu opened the "Changfenghao" materialware workshop and accepted a wide range of apprentices.

After decades of development and competition, the four major schools of Jiang, Wang, Zhao and Yue have gradually formed in the flower market. Jiang Wenliang, Jiang Wenkui as the representative of the Jiang family is known for its fine workmanship and complete workmanship, especially for making materials and flowers, it is said that Jiang Wenliang is the apprentice of Jia Fulai mentioned above; Wang Fuchang, the founder of Wangjiamen, is most famous for being birds and beasts; The head of Zhao's family is Zhao Jiugao, who specializes in the production of petals for material stones; Yue Ziyuan, a rising star in Yuejiamen, is an expert in production and marketing. Among the four major sects, the Jiang family has the most apprentices.

Chen Dehai, the only old artist in the material industry who was awarded the title of "Master of Arts and Crafts", learned art from his brother-in-law, Gao Yanshan, an old artist from "Jiang Jiamen", at the age of 12. At the age of 20, he showed his artistic talent in the Beijing material and ware industry with his "fine work", and produced and sold more than ten kinds of material products in Dong'an market. After the establishment of Beijing Feeder Factory, Chen Dehai also entered the factory, and he also entered the factory with artists Hu Ruicheng and Tian Wenyuan, who were born in "Jiangjiamen".

Hu Ruicheng's skills are comprehensive, and he is known for making the "Eight Horses" with vivid posture and lofty spirits, and he is the first to make small oily chickens, full of energy, cute image, and quite popular.

Tian Wenyuan is a senior disciple of "Jiang's family", he is good at making birds and beasts, especially to make coral dragons as a specialty, the dragon made by his hands opens its mouth and raises its whiskers, its four claws are strong, and its fire wings are flying, and it is a majestic posture of "living dragon". He has a lot of apprentices, Xing Lanxiang, who is now stationed in the Baigongfang, and Fang Tianzuo, the technical backbone of the raw material factory, are all his proud disciples.

With the development of the market economy, the collapse of the Beijing Feeder Factory, there are few old artists left in the original Feeder Factory, and they are no longer engaged in the production of Feeders. Master Xing Lanxiang of Baigongfang can be said to be the only person in the material industry who integrates traditional handicraft design and production skills.

Master Xing was born in 1945, graduated from Beijing Academy of Arts and Crafts in 1976, and worked in the technical department of Beijing Material Factory in the same year. Her works break through the traditional design concept, and apply the figure modeling to the production of the material, with novel shape, delicate style, delicate workmanship, and rich color matching artistic style.

She expressed the works of the characters in the folk legends and stories, which was a great breakthrough in the design and production of the materials. Her works such as "Zhang Guo Riding a Donkey Upside Down", "More Than Years in a Row", and "Bi Ma Plague as an Official" are prominent representatives of this skill.

After the closure of the material factory, Master Xing was hired as the chief designer of an American company, and her works at this time reflected the combination of art and practicality, such as "Shou Dai Bird Candlestick", "Lift the Guanjian Xi Candlestick", etc., which were sold very well in foreign markets.

But when Baigongfang was established, Master Xing resolutely gave up his high salary and came to Baigongfang to open this feeder workshop. She said: "I want to use the platform of Baigongfang to preserve and display the material making skills I have mastered. "Xing Lanxiang also brought two apprentices, Liu Yu and Liu Xing, but for the whole skill, there are too few inheritors.

Inheritor Xing Lanxiang shows exquisite traditional craftsmanship of feeders.

In the past two years, there has been a glass market boom in Taiwan and the south of the mainland, and the traditional material handicraft is facing more challenges, which can also be said to be more dangerous, and needs to be rescued and protected.

The independent family workshop type of material production is not conducive to the inheritance and development of Beijing material ware. It is not difficult to see from the development history of the feeder that the most prosperous and new period are "government-run".

In the Qing Dynasty, because of the establishment of the imperial factory, there were "palace materials" and "imperial glass"; After the establishment of Beijing Feeder Factory in 1960, with the support of the state, Beijing Feeder went abroad as a "national gift".

With the closure of the Beijing Feeder Factory, the key technology of Beijing's Feeder - raw material preparation, also "went out of business", and the formula was lost. The materials used by Master Xing Lanxiang of Baigongfang are all purchased from farmers in Tongxian County, and the quality of raw materials does not meet the requirements of the design and maker, and the ingredients cannot be realized according to the needs of the work.

The inheritance of Beijing material is also the most worrying problem for the teachers now, Xing Lanxiang brought two apprentices, Liu Yu and Liu Xing, but for the whole skill, there are too few inheritors.

In view of the above problems, through our visit to the master of the feeder, the following points are summarized:

Collect the material formulas developed by the scattered raw material factory, establish a batching workshop, and solve the key technical links that restrict the production of new varieties of Beijing feeders.

Restore the varieties that have been brilliant in the history of the development of Beijing's feeders, such as: "Gu Yuexuan" exterior painting bottle; Imitation of "Tang Sancai", "Bronze" and so on.

A certain amount of economic compensation will be given to the designated inheritors to benefit the Beijing feeder.

Materialware, also known as "glassware", is a common handicraft production material in the Ming and Qing dynasties of China. Glazed stone is produced in the Western Regions, because of its colorful crystalline, for the Central Plains people love and imitate. When did the material spread to China from abroad, in the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, the production of material ware in Boshan, Shandong Province has been very prosperous and spread to Beijing.

In the 35th year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty, there was a large-scale "glaze factory" in Beijing, which produced the material ware enjoyed by the imperial palace, which was appreciated by the royal family, and the material ware made by Boshan in Shandong Province in the Ming Dynasty was the best, with high transparency and crystal luster.

"Qingzhou Mansion Chronicles" (now Boshan, Shandong) introduced: "Glazed ware, out of Yanshen Town, mainly native horse teeth, purple stone, yellow dan, white lead, patina, coke cut into beads, wear light screens, chess games, tent hooks, pillow tops, bright and lovely. The latest chapter of "Dream Claw Book House in the Great Era" is free to read for the first time.