Cuojinyin
01 · Historical Records
The gold-and-silver inlay technique (cuojinyin) has been an important means of decorating bronze and jade since the Warring States period. In the Han dynasty, gold and silver wires and sheets were embedded in the surfaces of objects, the patterns flowing and the filling tight and neat; after the Tang and Song dynasties the technique was also applied to the decoration of jade and porcelain. In Putian, Fujian, maritime shipping flourished and the jade trade developed from the Song and Yuan dynasties onwards; jade craftsmen combined the gold-inlay experience of the Central Plains and of West Asia, gradually forming a local style that takes white jade and jadeite as the body and gold and silver wires and sheets as ornament.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
The gold-and-silver inlay technique is a brilliant gem of China's traditional crafts. It takes bronze and fine jade as its base, and uses gold and silver wires (or sheets) to make ornament and patterns; through process steps such as cutting grooves, pressing in the wires and inlaying, the gold wires (or sheets) are made to combine perfectly with the base, achieving an effect of seamless fit and natural unity. Gold-and-silver inlay is found mainly in Beijing, Xinjiang, Shanghai and Fujian; among these, the technique of Huachang, a century-old established firm of Putian City, Fujian Province, is particularly renowned. Putian City lies in the middle of the Fujian coast; its plains are fertile and its sea stretches long, combining the beauty of mountains and sea. It has numerous scenic spots and cultural relics and historic sites, and enjoys the reputation of a "celebrated land of letters, a Zou and Lu beside the sea"; it is one of the "famous historical and cultural cities" of Fujian Province. The gold-and-silver inlay technique has developed substantially here. The technique is expressed chiefly in the process steps of cutting grooves, chasing designs and inlaying gold and silver. It takes white jade and jadeite as the body, matched with gold wires and sheets, so that the gold wires (or sheets) combine perfectly with the base, achieving an effect of seamless fit and natural unity, and giving an impression of elegance or of splendour. Through the combination of jade, gold and silver, and gemstones, the traditional technique carries such cultural connotations as "golden rules and jade laws", "a golden appearance and jade substance" and "a destined union of gold and jade". With the development of society, the technique has been constantly innovated and refined, producing numerous art treasures that bear the marks of the times and cultural elements, with vivid imagery. Gold-and-silver inlay unites aesthetics with utility and matter with spirit; it is unique among the traditional crafts of China's ethnic peoples. With the changes of the times, gold-and-silver inlaid works have entered ordinary households, becoming craft objects that raise the quality of life and satisfy spiritual needs. The technique continues to innovate on the basis of inheriting excellent traditional craft; it is the crystallisation of the wisdom and creativity of generations of craftsmen, and vivid testimony to the craftsman's spirit of striving for perfection and advancing with the times, with important artistic and socio-cultural value.
Grooving, pressing and inlaying
Grooves are cut, wire or foil pressed in and fixed, until the metal and the jade surface read as one unbroken piece.
Jade and precious metal
Warm white jade and jade-green cabochons set with gold wire, the soft stone and bright metal reflecting one another in vivid contrast.
Contemporary synthesis
Present-day masters keep the hand method while borrowing wider cultural ideas, keeping the craft alive through new gift sets as well as traditional pieces.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Gold-and-silver inlay is found mainly in Beijing, Xinjiang, Shanghai and Fujian; among these, the technique of Huachang, a century-old established firm of Putian City, Fujian Province, is particularly renowned. Putian City lies in the middle of the Fujian coast; its plains are fertile and its sea stretches long, combining the beauty of mountains and sea, and it has numerous scenic spots and cultural relics and historic sites. It enjoys the reputation of a "celebrated land of letters, a Zou and Lu beside the sea" and is one of the "famous historical and cultural cities" of Fujian Province; the gold-and-silver inlay technique has developed substantially here.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Cuojinyin.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Contemporary inheritors of gold-and-silver inlay, on the basis of upholding tradition, draw widely on the strengths of others and absorb advanced cultural and artistic concepts, so that this technique can be carried forward.
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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