Liedan

01 · Lineage & Regional School

From 1988 to 1998 he studied under Zanla Duojie, devoting ten years of assiduous study to the craft. Within the regional tradition and school record of Tibetan Jinshuduanzaojiyi in Nanmulin, Tibet: Copper forging in Namling County is concentrated in the county seat and the river-valley zone. Artisan households mostly take commissions as family units; the forms and subjects of the objects are largely imported from places such as Zhaxi Jicai and Lhasa, while the local area undertakes only the actual work of hammering and welding. Local pieces do not seek dense ornament but a firmly upright bearing: the drapery lines and back-aureoles of Buddha statues are given their edges blow by blow with the hammer, and if the proportions are even slightly off, the figure looks stiff. The work of the Ledan family leans toward vessels and utensils, with an archaic pattern style, fine workmanship, beautiful carving, and flowing lines; small objects such as prayer beads and prayer wheels are made with particular care. Tibetan copper forging technique is transmitted mainly in Namling County of the Tibet Autonomous Region; its origins can be traced back to the period of the Tenth Dalai Lama, giving it a history of more than one hundred years.

02 · Mastery & Signature Works

Male, Tibetan ethnicity, born in December 1976 in Nanmulin County, Tibet Autonomous Region. A representative bearer of the fourth batch of national intangible cultural heritage projects in Tibetan metal forging craftsmanship (Tibetan copper forging craftsmanship). A Tibetan copper forging technician. The patterns on his vessels are archaic in style, finely worked, beautifully engraved and smooth in line, and the pieces are durable. He has taken on more than ten disciples and passes on the craft inherited within his family. He regularly takes part in various display activities held in the region, notably the 2011 sales exhibition at the folk-custom park of the ninth Mount Everest Cultural Tourism Festival in Shigatse Prefecture. As a forger he has trained several apprentices, contributing his own strength to Tibetan metal forging craftsmanship. Within the documented technical tradition of Tibetan Jinshuduanzaojiyi in Nanmulin, Tibet: The products of Tibetan metal forging technique are highly varied, chiefly including Buddha statues, various religious implements (such as prayer wheels and Vajrayana vajras), and incense burners, with Tibetan knives being the most famous and most common of all. The faces of Tibetan waist knives are burnished clean and the edges are incomparably sharp; the handles are made of ox horn or hardwood (such as jujube wood) and wrapped with copper or silver wire; the tops are banded with copper sheeting and inlaid with brass or engraved patterns. The scabbards are also finely made, engraved with patterns of dragons and phoenixes, tigers and lions, flowers and birds; some are further set with gems and agate, in a sumptuous and magnificent style. Tibetan knives are both a necessity of daily life for the Tibetan people and a renowned Tibetan handicraft, deeply prized by art collectors and connoisseurs. Copper forging is used mainly to cast Buddha statues, with consummate skill, a refined technique, and a unique artistic style, demonstrating the excellent handicraft tradition of the Namling region. The entire copper forging production process involves numerous steps and rigorous execution; because the textures of the materials used differ, the process steps are not entirely the same. The forging materials are chiefly copper, brass, and cupronickel, with gold and silver sometimes used as well, but bronze and iron are rarely chosen, because such materials are hard and brittle, lack ductility, and are unfavorable for shaping and forging. Before use, the metal materials are first smelted in crucibles made of clay, and after cooling naturally into metal ingots, are forged into metal sheets. Afterward, through the stages of welded image-making, gilding, polishing, and applying red pigment, solemn and exquisite Buddha statues are finally forged and cast. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Archival Record of Process Steps": The entire copper forging production process involves numerous steps and rigorous execution; because the textures of the materials used differ, the process steps are not entirely the same. "Melting in clay crucibles": Copper and brass are melted in clay crucibles, cooled to ingots and forged into sheet; bronze and iron are avoided as too brittle. "Soldering the figure": A figure is forged in parts and soldered together, the seams reheated and hammered until invisible. "Mercury gilding": Gold is laid over the copper body by fire-gilding, leaving a thick layer that does not lift.

03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status

In 2012, Liedan was announced in the fourth batch of national representative bearers for Tibetan Jinshuduanzaojiyi, with Nanmulin, Tibet as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Tibetan Jinshuduanzaojiyi in Nanmulin, Tibet: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2008 (batch 2), with Nanmulin, Tibet as its declared area, and Nanmulin County Culture and Tourism Bureau as its safeguarding unit. Since the project was inscribed in the national inventory, its declared area and safeguarding unit have carried out documentation, transmission and presentation within the national safeguarding framework. Together, the inventory record and the project archive form the public documentary basis for the bearer’s transmission practice.

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. Liedan · National Representative Bearer Archive