In the 60s of the last century, the black copper and silver handicrafts almost disappeared, and the only heir of the Yue family, Yue Zhongxiang, the old man, and this year is high, and he wants to revive the ancestral industry but has more than enough strength to do so.

In order to prevent the family's mastery from being drowned, his daughter Yue Lijuan was determined to revive herself in the early 90s of the last century, and followed her father to learn and study the ancestral black copper and silver craftsmanship.

Under the careful guidance of her father, Yue Zhongxiang, after hard study and repeated practice, she used a special formula for smelting, and carved out plum, orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum, peony, lotus and other patterns by hand on the copper sheet, and "walked" the silver into the groove, making exquisite black copper silver handicrafts, and finally making the ancestral craft come to life.

Jinning is the center of Yunnan's bronze culture. Since 1955, provincial and municipal archaeologists have carried out five excavations in Shizhai Mountain in Jinning, cleaned up 86 ancient tombs, and unearthed more than 5,000 cultural relics from the Warring States period to the Western Han Dynasty.

These cultural relics, which are comparable to the bronze culture of the Shang and Zhou dynasties in the Central Plains and are praised as "unique collections in the world" by the international cultural and museum circles, outline the outline of the ancient Dian kingdom that has disappeared for more than 2,000 years and is enough to make the south of Caiyun proud, showing the most brilliant era in the ancient history of Yunnan.

This is a milestone discovery in the exploration of Yunnan culture in the archaeological community, and is known as one of the three major unearthed miracles in China. Most of these cultural relics unearthed in Shizhai Mountain in Jinning are bronze. Tianchengmen is a historic village in Jincheng Town, only more than 3 kilometers away from Shizhai Mountain.

The Yuan family, who make black bronze and silver, live in Xiaoliwa in Tianchengmen Village, a village famous for its bamboo weaving village, which sits at the foot of Jinsha Mountain. Jinsha Mountain is also famous for the large number of bronzes unearthed in previous years.

According to expert analysis, the bronze casting process of the ancient Dian Kingdom is very exquisite, and the people at that time were able to adopt methods such as single casting, empty stomach casting, ramming casting, socket casting, lost wax casting, etc., to manufacture various production and living utensils and arts and crafts, and use forging, molding, hollowing, gilding, tinning, inlay, painting, line engraving and other post-processing technologies to make the bronze more practical and more exquisite.

The craftsmen of the ancient Dian Kingdom have a more accurate understanding of the proportion of bronze alloys, and can skillfully apply them, and they use more than 6 kinds of alloy components, in addition to the familiar copper, tin, lead, iron, nickel, silicon, etc.

According to their own design requirements for the performance and use of bronzes, they adjusted the alloy composition, changed the alloy ratio, or made it hard, or enhanced toughness, to meet the needs of production and life; They skillfully use the alloy ratio to change the color of the bronze ware, making it black and shiny or white and shiny, so as to satisfy people's aesthetic taste.

The most basic process of the production of black copper and silver is the smelting of alloy copper, this process technology is not well mastered, copper can not become black, the finished product is not red copper silver or brass silver, its process value will be greatly discounted. Therefore, the ancient Yunnan bronzes are likely to be the historical source of black copper and silver.

The main products are mostly utensils, ink cartridges, playthings, and the patterns are unicorn spitting books, eight immortals crossing the sea, flowers, birds, insects and fish, birds and animals, plum orchids, bamboo chrysanthemums, dragons, phoenixes, deer and cranes, etc. The craftsmanship is ingenious and the craftsmanship is exquisite.

The products are widely sold in Hong Kong and abroad, and have a great reputation. The black copper presents a silver pattern, forming a unique and elegant style and extremely high grade. There are hand stoves, four treasures of the study, wine utensils, vases, pen holders, incense burners, ruyi, jewelry, smoking sets, jewelry boxes, longevity locks, etc. The process is fine, the materials are selected, and it is time-consuming.

The production of black copper and silver is a complex process, and the craftsman must master the skills of smelting alloys, carving shapes, calligraphy and painting, and miniature carving. The main tools are bellows, furnaces, hammers (large and small), pliers, and chisels of different sizes (for engraving patterns).

The copper billet is made of copper, which is light red, and the blank is hand-painted and engraved with patterns; Then a certain proportion of copper and gold is melted into a solution, and it is repeatedly beaten by hand with a special tool called "Watara" (a tool made of kiln mud) until it resembles tissue paper; Then use a variety of chisels of different sizes to engrave the patterns that have been drawn, and then take silver water or gold water to make shapes; Finally, use the ancestral secret recipe to make it jet black and shiny, and shiny and beautiful.

The ancient craft of black copper and silver has been mastered by the three major factions in Yunnan; They are Master Shiping Jin Yongcai; Master Yuan Kunlin of Jinning, as well as Master Wan Guanghong, mastered the Baoshan black copper silver production skills.

Shiping black copper silver is a unique in the history of Shiping County, well-known Chinese handicraft skills at home and abroad, the famous scholar Yuan Jiagu's "Yilong Lake Song" has the sentence "the instrument is called black copper", praise is the black copper silver handicrafts.

It was founded by the Yue brothers of Maohe Yuejiawan in Yilong Town, Shiping County in the Yongzheng period of the Qing Dynasty (1723~1735), and has a history of more than 280 years, and has been exclusively operated by successive dynasties. During the Republic of China, the average annual production and sales volume was about 3000~5000 pieces.

In 1959, the Yunnan Provincial People's Government in order to rescue the national craft, sent Su inherited and others to Beijing to visit and study for more than two months, and after returning to Kunming, the provincial party committee guest house set up a point to develop the black copper silver process for several months.

After the death of Su in 1962, this craft was lost, and so far only one Yue Zhongxiang, a descendant of the Yue family who has mastered this skill, has been found, but he is old.

Jinning black copper silver craft spread in the Yuan family of Tianchengmen Village, Jincheng Town, Jinning County, Kunming City, and passed on from the Shiping Yue family, which has a history of eighty or ninety years. In 1989, Yuan Jiahe's two sons, Yuan Wancheng and Yuan Wanli, began to make black copper and silver, which had been silent for many years.

The silversmith's house began to hear the sound of "dang dang" metal striking again. There is a second generation of inheritors. After the reform and opening up in 1989, the Yuan family returned to the old business, and slowly began to resume the production and sales of this craft, and has made thousands of works so far, which are circulated in Jinning County, and are mainly sold in the antique market in Kunming after 1998.

Since it is a traditional handmade production, the number of pieces produced each year is very limited. Because its skills have been passed down from generation to generation, and the craft formula has been kept secret, there are very few people who know this craft to this day. Today, the inheritance is still limited to the Yuan family, and only a few people have mastered this skill.

Baoshan black copper silver production skills began at the end of the Qing Dynasty, at the end of the Qing Dynasty Banqiao Huaibao Silver Building (the predecessor of Sibao Zhai), from the stone screen heavy gold hired a silversmith surnamed Wang, Wang silversmith because of the gratitude for the grace of the encounter, then the black copper silver production skills were passed on to the Huaibao Silver Building of the Wan surname.

By 1966, the second-generation successor Wan Huailin, because of the four old and other reasons at that time, became the object of criticism, can no longer do the craft, Wan Huailin is afraid that the craft will be lost, and secretly taught his wife Jin Laowu the black copper and silver production skills.

After the situation improved, Jin Laowu passed on the black copper and silver production skills to their son Wan Guanghong. So far, the black copper and silver production skills have been passed on by Wan Guanghong.

"Black copper and silver" is an ancient handicraft in Yunnan, which was once as famous as Beijing cloisonne, and was called "the world's copper art is unique", but now it is also on the verge of being lost

Born in 1953 in Guandu District, Kunming, Yunnan Province, he has loved art since he was a child, and has a soft spot for antiques and bronzes, and is born with a pair of "fiery eyes".

Some masters of Yunnan arts and crafts told me that Master Jin is a descendant of Yue Fei, for this statement, I did not ask Master Jin for verification, because I know that even if the rumors are true, a master like him who is both virtuous and artistic, will not use the reputation of his ancestors to win attention for himself.

Since Master Jin has never taken the initiative to mention it, it will seem abrupt for me to ask rashly, so it is better not to dwell on these rumors and focus on the topic at hand. Mr. Jin Yongcai's achievements today are entirely due to his own diligence, persistence, research and innovation in the past few decades.

In the past few decades, Master Jin has also experienced many twists and turns and magical encounters in life. The legendary story between him and his master also casts a touch of magic on the bronze and silver.

At that time, Master Jin's family felt that "the sky is dry for three years, hungry craftsmen", so he learned silversmithing, at that time silver jewelry in Yunnan demand is very large, who marries a girl, will also play some silver bracelets, necklaces, hairpins, willow moon earrings and so on as a dowry.

In the process of doing these silver jewelry businesses, Master Jin met his master, Li Jiaru, a master of black bronze and silver, and the two hit it off at first sight and became friends.

Li Jiaru is a lonely old man, and Jin Yongcai often goes to his house to take care of his diet and daily life. At that time, Li Jiaru was only doing some ordinary silver jewelry business, and did not show the stunt of black copper and silver.

Until the seventies and eighties of the last century, Shanghai watches replaced the traditional silver jewelry to become a fashionable dowry for Yunnan people, and the silver jewelry business became more and more difficult to do.

Only then did Jin Yongcai see Li Jiaru's craftsmanship. But Li Jiaru only gave it to him when it was finished, and never let Jin Yongcai see the production process of black copper and silver.

Since the birth of the Yongzheng period in Yunnan Province during the Yongzheng period of the Qing Dynasty, for more than 300 years, the black copper and silver has been regarded as a precious luxury, in that era when the salary of ordinary people is only a dozen yuan, a black copper and silver pipe can still be sold for 150 yuan in the old teahouse in Kunming.

At that time, the teahouse in Kunming was also a gathering place for all kinds of literati and scholars, people with a little taste liked the noble and elegant black copper and silver, and some people had no money, so they replaced the jade, jade, and antiques handed down by their ancestors.

Jin Yongcai clearly knew the value of black copper and silver, but he never knew how to make it. It took a full 8 years for Li Jiaru to take him as an apprentice, but he did not teach stunts.

Until 1995, Li Jiaru, who was in his 80s, was getting worse and worse, and was often hospitalized. After being discharged from the hospital once, Li Jiaru had dinner with him, drank a little wine, and was in a good mood, so he said to Jin Yongcai: "The skill of making black copper and silver cannot be lost in my hands, otherwise I will become a sinner of the nation." ”

It turned out that the master had already written the formula, he handed the formula to Jin Yongcai, and ordered him to memorize it within 15 minutes, time passed minute by minute, as soon as the bell of the horseshoe bell rang, Li Jiaru picked up the formula and folded it, Jin Yongcai thought that the master was going to hand it over to him, but he didn't expect Li Jiaru to throw the formula into the fire and burn it clean, so anxious that Jin Yongcai hurried home to practice making according to the formula he memorized.

More than three months later, Mr. Li Jiaru passed away, and the craftsmanship of "black copper to silver" was passed down by Jin Yongcai.

When it comes to Master, Jin Yongcai's eyes are full of appreciation and gratitude, and he also feels the impermanence of life's fate. Li Jiaru's life is full of ups and downs and legends, the smart and handsome Li Jiaru was the son-in-law of the Tusi family in his early years, lived a life of fine clothes and food, and had a son.

Later, because of the changes in the situation, he said goodbye to his wife and children, went up the mountain and fell into the grass, became a bandit, and encountered the remnants of the Kuomintang who were defeated in the three major battles.

In 1955, the People's Liberation Army in Yunnan began to suppress bandits, Li Jiaru bought peasant clothes and went down the mountain, from Shiping to Yuxi, walked for 7 days, went to his brother's house, and returned to his hometown in the second half of 1956, and gradually began to make a living by silversmith's craft. Because he was afraid that his experience would affect the future of his wife and children, he refused to recognize his wife and children, and cut off all contact, and since then he has been alone and lonely for a lifetime.

The inheritance of black copper and silver has always believed in the rules of "oral transmission, no handwriting, male and female transmission, and single transmission from generation to generation". If it weren't for the fate that arranged for the meeting of Jin and Li later, it would be a mystery that the black bronze and silver skills could not be passed down.

Jin Yongcai said that the black copper and silver passed to him by accident and responsibility. The "Jin Li Ji" silverware brand he founded was also to commemorate the days when he and Li Jiaru had a deep relationship between master and apprentice and depended on each other.

In the past 30 years, Jin Yongcai has been persistently studying the black copper silver process, and really lived up to the expectations of his master Li Jiaru, and successfully passed down the black copper silver walking skills, and carried forward in his hands, creating many classic boutiques. Because he is gifted and highly perceptive, he has made a lot of innovations while inheriting.

Master Jin said, "All the processes of black copper and silver, except for the smelting technology of black copper, I have made changes and innovations in the rest."

When it comes to the "smelting of black copper", Master Jin tells us that this is the first step in making black copper and silver, and the smelting technology is also the secret of inheritance. Black copper is actually a kind of alloy copper, when smelting, at 500 degrees, what materials need to be added, what to add at 700 degrees, and what to add at 1000 degrees, these are all strict formulas. The last ingredients must be removed within 30 seconds, otherwise they will all be wasted.

In the end, to judge whether the black copper smelting is successful, it is necessary to follow the principle of "three light fixing" of gaze, fire and moonlight, all of which are indispensable. Therefore, in the past, the heirs of black copper and silver used to do it in the yard at night, not entirely for secrecy, but also because when smelting, it was necessary to assist the moonlight to fix the color.

As for the innovation of other crafts, Master Jin said that what impressed him the most was an accidental miracle.

As we all know, after going through black copper smelting, forging black copper sheets, engraving, silver, welding and assembly, polishing and grinding, there is also the most important item is "black".

The production of many exquisite utensils requires hard sweat, but I am afraid that only black copper and silver are directly related to "sweat". Black copper and silver need to be played with sweaty hands repeatedly in order to finally form a bright and beautiful color.

In 1994, an old man in Kunming asked Jin Yongcai to customize a black copper and silver ink cartridge and give it to his grandson who was admitted to university. He asked Kim Yongjae how to maintain it. Master Jin replied truthfully, play with sweat more, and the more you play, the more dark and shiny it becomes.

As a result, a few days later, the old man was very angry and came back to Jin Yongcai with the ink cartridge to theorize, after he played with sweat, the original black ink cartridge turned red, he said that Jin Yongcai was a big liar, this ink cartridge was fake, and asked for compensation.

Jin Yongcai was also very surprised, he had never encountered this situation in so many years of art, and he also said angrily: "I will take this cartridge back, spend one night to cover it again, and return it to you tomorrow, I didn't lie to you." The old man suspiciously brought the cartridge back to him.

When he got home, Jin Yongcai was very depressed, he was very angry, and it was really difficult to cover the black ink cartridge again overnight, so he casually put the ink cartridge on the table, and sat and sulked while trying to find a way.

His wife called him for dinner, and he happened to be eating dumplings that day, and when he was dipping in vinegar, his family accidentally spilled vinegar on the ink cartridge, and no one noticed. After eating and cleaning up the table, he was surprised to find a few black dots on the red cartridge, which he guessed might be vinegar.

So he began to experiment boldly, soaking the cartridge in vinegar, and sure enough, after 20 minutes, the cartridge gradually turned black, and then he played with his sweaty hands all night, and the cartridge was even darker and more beautiful than before.

Jin Yongcai suddenly realized: 90% of people's sweat is acidic, so it can be used to cover black copper and silver, and the old gentleman's sweat is rarely alkaline, so the cartridge will turn red. Since then, the black time of black copper and silver has been greatly shortened. 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.