In the Qing Dynasty, gem resources were gradually depleted, and spot emerald and burnt blue were used to replace the location of gemstones. Nowadays, the filigree inlay process only exists in Beijing and Chengdu, and the filigree inlay process in Beijing is the most complete. Beijing filigree inlay epitomizes the characteristics of Chinese court filigree inlay technology.

In June 2008, the filigree inlay production technique was included in the national intangible cultural heritage list.

A delicate filigree inlay handicraft is often a combination of multiple processes, and the production process is more complicated.

Filigree inlay includes two processes: filigree is made of gold and silver as raw materials, drawn into filaments, and braided into shape; Inlay is to hammer gold and silver flakes into shape, and inlay pearls and gemstones into them to make ornaments.

The whole process is very complicated, first of all, the tire must be made in order to shape; Then use the method of stacking, blocking, weaving and weaving to form the filaments and weld them; After pickling, it is burned blue or gold-plated silver, and then brightened.

Yanjing Eight Uniques, namely filigree inlay, gold lacquer inlay, cloisonne, jade carving, ivory carving, carved lacquer, palace carpet, Beijing embroidery eight major craft categories, they fully absorb the essence of folk crafts from all over the world, in the Qing Dynasty have created a new peak of Chinese traditional crafts, and gradually formed the "Beijing made" characteristics of the palace art.

Filigree inlay, also known as fine gold technology, is made of precious gold and silver through the strip to form a hair-thin silk, meandering into various shapes, inlaid with agate, emerald feathers and various colors of red sapphires.

The fundamental technique of filigree craft is summarized and synthesized in eight words, namely: pinching, filling, stacking, base, weaving, weaving, saving, and welding. These eight techniques can be implemented in the detailed control process according to the actual situation. In front of a delicate filigree inlay handicraft, the blood and sweat of most craftsmen are often accumulated.

From the gold and silver mistakes during the age to today's Yanjing Eight Uniques, filigree inlay has always been the top craftsmanship of jewelry, unparalleled. Because of the complex process and precious materials, it is mostly used for royal supplies.

After the precious gold is extracted into silk, it is delicate and flexible, and Chinese craftsmen who are good at weaving use gold silk instead of thread, and the hats and phoenix crowns that can only be woven can be found in the lightest way. This Ming Dynasty golden silk dragon wing crown invented in 1956 is the place where everyone believes in mythology for the first time.

The phoenix crown of the queen of Wanli Xiaoduan in the Ming Dynasty is another representation of the filigree inlay, the delicate gold wire outlines the full crown of the point of emerald, the point of emerald will refract the different levels of blue in the light of the difference, like the golden blue sea at dawn in the morning, the hollow golden dragon mouth spits agate, the crown moves with the person walking, the gold filament dots the emerald, and the brilliance is brilliant.

This Ming Dynasty double luan title longevity fruit golden hairpin is the pinnacle of the late Ming Dynasty. The filigree inlay process of the Ming Dynasty was more sophisticated than that of the previous dynasties, and it was lively and well-behaved. This pair of Luan Bird is made of filigree, the golden wings are clear, the delicate body is plump and smart, the most wonderful place is the stamens connected to the flower receptacle and the bird, the connecting line made of gold wire springs, just a slight movement, the Luan Bird will flutter its wings and want to fly, painting sound and color.

Qing Dynasty Qianlong Nian Ou Yonggu Cup, the tamped gold flower stretches in all the cup body, each carefully carved stamen, revealing a variety of jewelry, it is more expensive than any filigree inlay work in the Ming Dynasty.

More intricately, its three-legged head style, the trunk curled into a toe, and the ivory slender hollow beside it, all look like a short elephant. It stood firmly on the ground. With the records of the history of the current dynasty, it means the integrity of the territory and the prosperity of the country.

In the troubled times of Kangqian, the Qing Dynasty's national power reached its peak, and the search for craftsmanship was also flourishing. The pinnacle of the filigree inlay is a filament vase.

It is different from the porcelain vase, there is no square, there is a circle, it is a bottle of thick silk and fine silk with each other in the vase. The coarse filaments of solidity shine brightly, while the illusory filaments shimmer matte, and the common "full filigree" process gives all vases a sense of space.

The layers of silk threads, the twisting and turning gold threads, no matter from which angle, seem to be able to perceive the overflowing time in this bottle. According to historical records, this vase alone took more than a dozen craftsmen half a year.

Filigree inlays can be applied to a variety of jewelry, the first category is gold jewelry, including bracelets, necklaces, earrings, brooches, pendants, cufflinks, tie cards, collar flowers, etc.

The second category is furnishings, mainly if the interior decoration items, such as small hanging screens, vases, stoves, smokers, construction, plants and other appearances.

The third category is the applicable category, which is mainly for small and medium-sized products, such as flat mirrors, cigarette boxes, ashtrays, powder boxes, sugar cans, medicine boxes, lamp holders, wine utensils, bowls, toothpick boxes, knives, etc.

In our opinion, there is no distinction between high and low, and all beauty is invented due to the spirit of better survival. It may never enter the filigree inlay of your daily existence, but because of its existence, it will make us believe that human beings have unlimited potential for inventing beauty.

It originated from the gold and silver mistaken craft of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period; flourished in the Ming Dynasty; In the last century, due to wars, filigree craftsmanship once fell into a trough; In the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China, it could not be revived because of its high difficulty in production, and it was on the verge of being lost; In June 2008, the filigree inlay production technique was included in the national intangible cultural heritage list.

Because the filigree inlay is basically made of gold and silver wire, it is also called "fine gold process", a fine filament to be made into a complete filigree inlay works, relying on the pile, base, weaving, weaving, pinching, filling, saving, welding a total of eight processes, and each process is actually very complicated.

Before the filament is drawn, the silver bar is pressed repeatedly on the rolling mill until it becomes a square bar of the right thickness, and then the formal drawing can begin. The tradition of hand-drawn silk has been going on in China for hundreds of years, and it has a name that we are all familiar with: wire drawing.

There are special brushed plates, with more than 50 eyeholes of different thicknesses, made of alloy or diamond, arranged in order, and you will find that the smallest eyeholes are thinner than a human hair.

The thicker the filament becomes thinner, it has to be pulled through one by one, and the middle can not be jumped, so the thinner the filament, the more times it has been drawn, the largest diameter is 4 mm, and the smallest diameter is only 0.2 mm.

The single-drawn "plain silk" cannot enter the next process, and two or three need to be kneaded together to form different filigree patterns. There are nearly 20 kinds of more complex filigree, such as arch thread, slub silk, wheat ear silk, phoenix eye silk, twist silk, and small braid silk.

The filigree is bone, inlaid as decoration. Filigree is the foundation, inlay is the finishing touch, the jewelry diamonds, fine stones and jade inlaid on the gold and silver jewelry, and then the gold and silver, crystal, white jade and colored glass are combined together, embedded in the hook, pot, bottle, lamp, axle and other utensils, this is the inlay.

Before inlay, the metal sheet needs to be frustrated, hammered, stuffy, beaten, collapsed, squeezed, inlaid and other techniques to make a tray and melon seed-shaped groove, and then inlaid with pearls, gemstones, etc., after the completion of the current streamer brilliant, brilliant, than the simple gold can show the royal status of the prominent and noble.

Edging is the most common inlay method, also known as bezel setting, and is often used for ordinary stones. There is also a kind of shovel nail setting, which is specially used for diamonds, rubies and other small and precious stones, this setting method is more traditional, the skill is more exquisite, and the gem will not lose its original charm when put into the stone bowl.

The Ming Dynasty was the peak of the filigree inlay technology level, and the jewelry theme mainly inherited the secularized style of the Song and Yuan dynasties, and the modeling patterns were mostly dragons and phoenixes, flowers and birds, insects, religion, etc. The jewelry in the palace is influenced by the court culture, and the dragon, phoenix, ruyi, longevity peach and other auspicious and noble shapes are mainly selected.

At that time, the techniques of weaving and stacking had developed to a very high level, and the technique of dotting emerald was also commonly used, but this emerald was not decorated with jadeite, but the green and blue feathers of the kingfisher were pasted on the blank spots of the filigree.

The kingfisher feathers used in Diancui have ten on each wing and ten on the left and right wings, which are called "big strips" in jargon, and eight tail feathers, which are called "tail strips" in jargon, so only about 28 feathers are used on a kingfisher. In ancient times, the queen's phoenix crown, hair ornaments, and clothing accessories were decorated with kingfisher feathers.

Now many old jewelry on the cultural relics market, the emerald blue on it is still bright and bright after a long time, and you can feel the delicacy and texture of the emerald feathers when you touch it with your hands, and even fall off the silk. However, this method of dotting the green was later abandoned due to the cruelty of bird protection and production technology, and was eventually replaced by the burning blue that appeared in the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China.

In general, the whole process of filigree inlay is very complicated, from the tire making, modeling, drawing, and then welding, after pickling to burn blue or gold-plated silver to brighten, any "inlaid treasure", "point cui", all handmade, special operation, craftsman check, quite time-consuming and energy-consuming. Even with the development of technology, a small filigree inlay bracelet would take at least seven days to complete.

Only handicrafts with both practical value and aesthetic value will not be abandoned by the times. Filigree inlays have a history of thousands of years in China, and throughout the world, the uses of filigree inlays in each dynasty and generation can be divided into two types:

One is the furnishings, the name "ornaments". It is broadly divided into four traditional categories: furnaces, animals, buildings, and people. For example, the pagoda in the building class is made of filigree weaving, the top stone of the tower is made of tiles, the ivory is made of plaques, the bells are gilded with copper, and the bricks of the base are made of filigree and jade.

The second is practical products, called "piece work". There are boxes, bottles, jars, hand mirrors, flower arrangements and other utensils, as well as hairpins, rings, bracelets, earrings, tiaras and other jewelry, the shape is exquisite and exquisite, and the shapes are rich and diverse. If the main body is a container, it should be decorated on the outside, such as the head and wings of a swan composed of filigree, and the crown and eyes inlaid with jewels.

The golden silk wing crown of the Wanli Emperor of the Ming Dynasty was woven with 518, 334 and more than 70 gold wires with a diameter of 0.2mm, the crown body was as thin as light yarn, the gap was even, and there was no trace of cohesion throughout the body.

In addition to the golden crown of the Wanli Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, there are also the golden Ou Yonggu cup of the Qing Dynasty, the crown of gold inlaid jewelry, the crown of the green phoenix and the silver hexagonal pot of golden peach tree bonsai, etc., which are all treasures inlaid with filigree and are regarded as national treasures.

It can be seen from many finished products that filigree inlay integrates multi-dynasty and multi-ethnic religious, cultural, aesthetic and other cultural factors, forming a unique Han handicraft and modeling characteristics, which can be said to be unique in the Chinese arts and crafts industry.

Nowadays, the filigree inlay craft only exists in Beijing and Chengdu, and the people who have mastered the essence of this craft add up to less than 100, and most of them have been in decay for many years, and there is a lack of successors. It is necessary to admit that this rare traditional craft is facing a serious inheritance problem

Ma Fuliang is a national intangible cultural heritage inheritor of filigree inlay, and has been hoping to carry forward the filigree inlay technology for decades. He has carried out the design, development and production of many types of filigree inlay handicrafts, and has combined this craft with ancient and modern, blending Chinese and Western, and his works have frequently won awards.

At New York Fashion Week in September this year, Ma Fuliang joined hands with the endangered filigree inlay to appear in front of people all over the world, showing the thrilling beauty of the filigree inlay.

A set of national style costumes from the classic game fashion of Tiandao - Heart King Drunken Flower Yin was displayed in the static exhibition of New York Fashion Week with the theme of "Chinese Culture and Virtual Fashion".

The hair ornament of Drunken Huayin is the filigree inlay process, which comes from the hand of Ma Fuliang, with pure gold as the main body and enamel as the decoration, which is colorful, exquisite and gorgeous, and breathtaking. When paired with the traditional costumes in the game, it is even more charming.

Bringing intangible cultural heritage to the stage of New York Fashion Week as a carrier of virtual fashion is an unprecedented and bold and innovative attempt, and it has indeed brought filigree inlay into the field of vision of more people.

The history of Dachang's filigree inlay production techniques can be traced back to the Han Dynasty. In the Ming Dynasty, a large number of Hui people moved in from outside the territory, and the culture and local art were skillfully integrated, forming a unique filigree handicraft, which was designated as a royal exclusive in the Ming and Qing dynasties, and its craftsmanship was also famous.

Filigree inlay is a special process in China, and its production process needs to be completed through at least 15 processes such as design, tire making, drawing, line drawing, wire making, adhesive wire, welding wire, and slapping. After years of accumulation and innovation, Dachang Hui Autonomous County has become the production and export base of filigree inlay handicrafts in northern China.

Master Ma Fuliang is the national intangible cultural heritage inheritor of the filigree inlay production technology project. Looking at the filigree inlay works on the spot, this gorgeous skill that used to be only seen in the Forbidden City, now comes to the people, and it can't help but be eye-opening.

One summer morning, we listened to Ma Fuliang talk to us about filigree inlay, he was a gentle man, serving tea to guests, and telling the story. Chatting with the master is really a wonderful artistic enjoyment, and we feel as if we have stepped into that integrated space.

A colleague who shared the same sentiment as me said that interviews with the inheritors of the intangible cultural heritage of the crafts should be made into oral history audio, and although the master was talking about filigree inlay every time, he was in a different state each time, so every moment was adding details of history.

Ma Fuliang: "Kaktu" is a small town on the border between China and Russia, mainly referring to the Russian porcelain firing process. The Kaktu technique has been lost in Russia for many years, and we have worked hard to revive it.

The engraving process is the need to chisel out with a chisel, like this silver porcelain jade holding pot, the dragon scales on the handle are the embodiment of the engraving process, we call it the scale pressing technology, especially the test of kung fu. To appreciate the filigree inlay, mainly look at these two points, which is the essence of the filigree inlay.

In a broad sense, Chinese filigree inlay can be called "fine gold craft", and in a narrow sense, it should be divided into "filigree craft" and "inlay craft". In 2008, filigree inlay was included in the "National Intangible Cultural Heritage List".

It from a filigree to become a complete filigree inlay work, to rely on the pile, base, weaving, weaving, pinching, filling, saving, welding eight processes, and each process is subdivided into ever-changing. In terms of the complexity of the process, filigree inlay is second to none among the various processes.

Filigree inlay is the most gorgeous fusion art. ornate because it is court art; Fusion, it integrates Kaktu, engraving, masking and other processes. Mask setting is a Mongolian setting technique, such as the one we often see them setting gemstones on gold medals.

The filigree inlay process is divided into tire making, line drawing, filigree making, filigree making, filigree washing, spot blue, burning blue, painting enamel, grinding, polishing, gold plating and the final inlay process.

I will talk about the setting process, which is the technique of combining materials such as polished gemstones with precious gold, which plays the role of the finishing touch in the filigree setting. The inlay process is mainly attached to the filigree process, or the filigree process also highlights the inlay process.

In the earliest days, we participated in a handicraft exhibition, and the work we brought was a gold wine jug, and a staff member of the organizer quietly reminded me, you are bold enough to dare to bring gold things to the exhibition, take it quickly, and you are not afraid of being stolen.

I was a little anxious, we withdrew in advance, is it not possible to participate in the later selection, the other party said, you take it first, wait for the news. Later, we learned that one of the judges was shocked to see this pot, she was an expert in the Forbidden City, and said that these skills had only been seen in the Forbidden City before.

In the end, our pot made it to the finals. That was the moment when filigree inlay was first known to the outside world, and it turned out that the big factories still retained this process.

My father, Ma Zuowen, went to Beijing Filament Factory in 1937 to learn art, when we belonged to Dachang Town, Tongzhou District, and I remember that my father often sent his good work to Beijing Filament Factory. With this in mind, I slowly started to make filigree inlays.

This craft is very laborious, and it will not be possible to produce it in 20 years. Filigree inlays are basically all by hand. After inheriting this skill, the filigree factory has continued to develop, and we have registered the trademark of "Liangshengda", and I hope it can become a well-known old brand. Take a look at the latest chapters of "Dream Claw Book House in the Great Era" and read it for free for the first time.