Wufuer Reheman

01 · Lineage & Regional School

Wufuer Reheman, Male, Unspecified, from Yingjisha, Xinjiang, is a third-batch national representative bearer of Uyghur Chuantongxiaodao Making Craftsmanship (Ⅷ-122). The tradition is documented in Yingjisha, Xinjiang. Within the regional tradition and school record of Uyghur Chuantongxiaodao Making Craftsmanship in Yingjisha, Xinjiang: The making of Uyghur small knives is most concentrated in Yingjisha County of the Kashgar region and Shaya County of the Aksu region; though a thousand li apart, their customs and materials differ slightly—Yingjisha excels at steel blades with bone handles and engraving, while Shaya is closer to the fur and leather trade, doing finer work on scabbards and sheaths. In Yingjisha County, workshops are mostly clustered around the county seat and the bazaars: men forge the blades, women fit the scabbards and do the finishing, and a single knife passes through three or four pairs of hands from the forge to the door. Upur Rahman began learning the craft from a master at age 13, worked at the Yingjisha County Hardware Factory from 1972 to 1982, later became director of the small-knife factory, and in 1988 registered the "Badam Flower" brand small-knife trademark. The making of Yingjisha small knives is directly interlocked with the division of labor of oasis handicrafts: the blade is forged by a blacksmith, while the handle and scabbard are made separately by coppersmiths and leatherworkers, and finally assembled into one piece in the workshop—a single small knife often representing the craftsmanship of several families. Engraving characters is a rule passed down from the older generation; the blade usually bears the owner's name, a serial number, or an auspicious phrase, so the knife is closer to its person than other objects. Long knives can exceed half a meter, while short ones are about two inches; the length measures purpose, not display.

02 · Mastery & Signature Works

Male, of Uyghur ethnicity, born in June 1955 in Yingjisha County, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. National representative bearer of Uyghur Traditional Xiaodao (Knife) Making Craftsmanship, a third-batch national intangible cultural heritage project. A master of arts and crafts of Xinjiang. He is devoted to and skilled in the making of Yingjisha knives. At the age of 13 he began learning knife-making techniques under his master, applied himself assiduously, and came to command every stage of the craft. From 1972 to 1982 he worked as a skilled worker at the Yingjisha County Hardware Factory, and he later served as director of the Yingjisha County Knife Factory. In 1988 he created the Badamu Hua (Almond Blossom) brand of Yingjisha knives and registered its trademark. In 2013 his work Yingjisha Xiaodao Sanjiantao (Three-Piece Yingjisha Knife Set) received the Gold Award of the Xinjiang Arts and Crafts Xinyi Cup, conferred by the Xinjiang Arts and Crafts Association. Within the documented technical tradition of Uyghur Chuantongxiaodao Making Craftsmanship in Yingjisha, Xinjiang: The Uyghur small knife is a traditional Uyghur handicraft with a distinctive shape and exquisite workmanship—practical yet beautiful. It serves both as a cutting tool and as an object of artistic value, and is deeply loved by the people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang. The craft of making Uyghur small knives is mainly transmitted in Yingjisha County of the Kashgar region and Shaya County of the Aksu region. Yingjisha small knives are generally 11–12 cm long; the longest can exceed half a meter, while the shortest are only about two inches. These knives come in varied shapes—crescent, fish belly, phoenix tail, eagle, red-billed chough, lark head, and more—and the blades are usually engraved with characters. The materials used are often steel, brass, yak horn, deer antler, and gazelle horn; the blade is hand-forged from high-quality steel and is exceptionally sharp. The handle is made from copper, bone, and the like, and inlaid with fine patterns using silver, copper, jade, and gemstones; the scabbard is pressed and stamped from cattle or sheep hide. With the massive influx of modern industrial products, the manufacture of traditional Uyghur small knives has been severely impacted; poor market outlets and obstructed production mean few practitioners remain, and the number of artisans mastering the relevant craft is dwindling, with some intricate knives' making techniques facing the danger of being lost. Protecting and developing the craft of making Uyghur small knives has become an urgent matter. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Archival Records of the Production Process": With the massive influx of modern industrial products, the manufacture of traditional Uyghur small knives has been severely impacted; poor market outlets and obstructed production mean few practitioners remain, and the number of artisans mastering the relevant craft is dwindling, with some intricate knives' making techniques facing the danger of being lost. "Forging the blade": Fine steel is repeatedly heated, folded and quenched until the blade is bright and keen. "Engraving the blade": The owner's name, a date or an auspicious phrase is chased into the blade. "Setting the handle": Handles of copper and bone are inlaid with silver, jade and gems, using horn or antler for warmth.

03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status

He has placed emphasis on transmitting the craft by taking on apprentices, and has trained a large number of highly proficient disciples.

04 · Associated Heritage Item Dossier

05 · Fellow National Bearers Lineage

National representative bearers recorded under the same item code, ordered from the first to the sixth batch. Batch order is not a teacher–student relationship.

06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography

1. Wufuer Reheman · National Representative Bearer Archive