Shengxifupimao Making Craftsmanship
01 · Historical Records
"Shengxifu" is an old-established brand founded in Tianjin in 1911, which opened a branch in Beijing in the 1930s. Founder Liu Xisan continually hired senior technicians from within the trade during production and operation, absorbed excellent hat-making techniques from home and abroad, and drew on the strengths of all, ultimately forming the distinctive Shengxifu fur-hat making craft. During the Republican era, Shengxifu fur hats were highly esteemed, and "Shengxifu atop one's head" became one standard of a high-quality life.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
The Shengxifu fur-hat making process is complex; making a single fur hat usually requires dozens of process steps, each pursued with utmost refinement. In matching materials, the raw materials must be fine, the lay of the fur must be consistent, and the length, thickness, density, color, and softness/firmness must all be uniform. In cutting the fur, a variety of knife techniques may be used — straight knife, top knife, oblique knife, herringbone knife, arc knife, crescent knife, ladder knife, fish-scale knife, and more — not bound to one pattern, requiring adaptability and flexible application. In sewing, the crown must be round, the take-up even, and the seams uniform. In covering with the leather face, seams must meet seam-to-seam and the crosses lie flat; the many requirements of steps such as hooking the fan, turning the hat, and joining the bill are extraordinarily fine. Shengxifu fur hats are dignified and elegant in appearance, refined and exquisite in workmanship, and light, soft, and comfortable to wear. After the founding of New China, Shengxifu fur hats became even more favored by consumers at home and abroad. Shengxifu technicians have on many occasions made hats for state leaders, and Shengxifu fur hats have also been selected as gifts for international friends. Today only two fourth-generation technicians can fully master the Shengxifu fur-hat making craft, and their own disciples are all past forty.
Process Records
The Shengxifu fur-hat making process is complex; making a single fur hat usually requires dozens of process steps, each pursued with utmost refinement. In covering with the leather face, seams must meet seam-to-seam and the crosses lie flat; the many requirements of steps such as hooking the fan, turning the hat, and joining the bill are extraordinarily fine.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Shengxifu began in Tianjin in 1911 and opened its Beijing branch in the 1930s, thereafter passing down the old rules of matching materials, cutting fur, working the knife, and covering the face. Matching materials first examines the lay of the fur, which must be consistent; in cutting fur the straight, top, oblique, herringbone, arc, crescent, ladder, and fish-scale knives take turns. Covering the face requires seam-to-seam meeting and flat crosses, and hooking the fan, turning the hat, and joining the bill show the truest skill. Li Jinshan entered the hat factory in 1974 as a disciple of Li Wengeng; his disciples Chen Jiangshan and Ma Wanlan can now bear the main load.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
We must accord this excellent traditional handcraft sufficient attention and protection so that it continues to be transmitted. Li Jinshan (per the official inheritor archival record): Male, Han ethnicity, born in January 1955, a native of Beijing. Representative inheritor of the third national-level batch of the Shengxifu Fur-Hat Making Craft, an item of intangible cultural heritage. In 1974 he entered the Beijing Shengxifu Hat Factory and studied under Li Wengeng, who possessed hereditary fur-cutting skills, learning traditional techniques such as material selection, matching, leveling the hide, and cutting. He honed such special skills as selecting hides, identifying pelts, and drawing the hide as he works the knife, gradually integrating modern technology and fashion elements and innovating in pelt-identification technology, cutting technique, tool improvement, and hat-style design. He compiled the "Fur and Fur-Hat Cutting and Making Process Manual," promoting standardization and normalization of the process flow. Representative works include the mink Turkish hat, the mink "Liberation"-style fur hat, and the sapphire-blue pineapple-flower women's hat. His two disciples Chen Jiangshan and Ma Wanlan have become mainstays of the craft. A recipient of the National May 1 Labor Medal, he was named a Beijing Highly Contributive Skilled Talent by the Beijing Municipal Leading Group Office for Talent Work.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Li Jinshan 03-1371
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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