Yintongqizhizuojiliujinjiyi
01 · Historical Records
Shuozhou gilding can be traced back to the Qing dynasty. Xiao Qi, born during the Xianfeng reign, completed his apprenticeship in Beijing, returned to Huairen County in Shuozhou to take jobs and open a shop, and made a living processing gold and silver jewelry and making gilded bronze Buddha statues; in his later years his fame spread across the Shuozhou-Tong area. Thereafter it was transmitted along two parallel lines—family and master-apprentice—and has now reached the sixth generation.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
The Shuozhou traditional gilding craft is a traditional copper-ware making technique mainly distributed in Shanxi Province; its central transmission area is Shuocheng District, Shuozhou City, Shanxi Province, and with historical development it gradually spread southward to the Wutai Mountain area of Xinzhou, northward via Youyu Shahukou to Hohhot in Inner Mongolia, and eastward to Zhangjiakou in Hebei. The Shuozhou traditional gilding craft mainly makes gilded bronze Buddha statues, including mainly three steps: first, gold and mercury are combined at high temperature into a gold-mercury amalgam (gold paste); then it is applied to the surface of bronze or silver ware and baked over charcoal fire, thereby evaporating the mercury in the gold-mercury amalgam (gold paste) on the surface of the object. Repeating the above three steps two to three times, the gold will firmly adhere to the surface of the object and not easily fall off, forming a glittering gilded object. Bronze ware treated with gilding is dazzling and shows a rich and magnificent aura. The gilding craft is a traditional craft form summarized and created by the working people of ancient China in production labor, and China is also the country that first used this technique in the world. The Shuozhou traditional gilding craft can be traced back to the Qing dynasty. Xiao Qi, born during the Xianfeng reign, after completing his apprenticeship in Beijing returned to Huairen County, Shuozhou City, to take jobs and open a shop, mainly making a living processing gold and silver jewelry and making gilded bronze Buddha statues, and in his later years his fame spread across the Shuozhou-Tong area. This craft has a positive driving role in promoting fine traditional Chinese culture, the craftsman spirit, and national wisdom.
Mixing the gold amalgam
Gold and mercury are heated into an amalgam, the paste-like gold mud that can be laid thinly over the surface.
Applying and firing over charcoal
The amalgam is painted onto the bronze or silver and fired over charcoal so that the mercury boils away and the gold remains.
Two or three repeat applications
Repeating the sequence two or three times fixes the gold to the surface, leaving the bronze dazzling.
Making gilded bronze Buddhas
The craft is chiefly applied to gilded bronze statues, which are cast and finished before the gold is laid on coat by coat.
The spread toward Wutai, Shahu and Zhangjiakou
The craft spread south to Wutai, north through Shahu to Hohhot and east to Zhangjiakou, following trade routes across the semi-arid plateau.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Shuozhou traditional gilding takes Shuocheng District as its transmission center and branches out along trade and transport routes: southward into Wutai Mountain in Xinzhou, northward via Youyu Shahukou to Hohhot, and eastward to Zhangjiakou in Hebei. Shuozhou is located in the semi-arid grassland belt of northern Shanxi, with convenient railways and highways and easy flow of copper materials and passengers, forming the conditions for this craft to diffuse outward.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Yintongqizhizuojiliujinjiyi · Yintongqizhizuojiliujinjiyi.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Shuozhou is located in northern Shanxi Province, in a semi-arid grassland belt; its railways and highways are convenient and its location and transportation are superior, creating favorable geographical conditions for the transmission and dissemination of this item. Gilding can prevent oxidation and serves to protect copper ware. The Shuozhou traditional gilding craft has been transmitted through two forms—family inheritance and master-apprentice inheritance—and has now reached the sixth generation. In addition to persisting in production practice, the inheritors also promote the transmission and dissemination of this heritage item by collecting and organizing operational techniques, writing papers, establishing heritage studios, and training young technicians. The gilding craft is the crystallization of the wisdom of the working people of ancient China and has important practical value in the restoration of ancient buildings, cultural relic restoration, cultural relic protection, and the replication of contemporary museum exhibits.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- He Man 04-1925
- Batutaogao
- Xiao Gang
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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