The ivory silk mat is definitely the pinnacle of traditional handicrafts. An ivory silk mat requires hundreds of ivory tusks to make, and every inch of gold is not enough to describe its preciousness.
Even the extravagant Qing Dynasty could not afford such a mat.
Anyone in the Qing Dynasty who owned one, not only an ivory silk mat, but also other ivory silk products, such as cattail fans, would make other members of the royal family envious.
Later, Emperor Yongzheng felt that this kind of ivory silk products was too wasteful, so he ordered a ban on the production of such ivory silk products as tribute.
Since then, the craftsmanship of ivory silk products has been lost.
It is a pity that this superb silk tapestry technique has been lost, so Zhang Junping is determined to restore this tapestry tapestry technique.
Zhang Junping went to Shanghai this time to find someone. He went to the Shanghai Tooth Carving Crafts Factory to find a master who could help him realize this wish.
Zhang Junping took the letter of introduction and inquired all the way to find the Shanghai Ivory Carving Crafts Factory.
Shanghai's ivory carving craftsmanship also has a long history, dating back more than 4,000 years.
After the opening of Shanghai, a large amount of ivory poured into the Shanghai port. With the influx of ivory, ivory carving artists from Fujian, Jiangsu and other places also came to Shanghai one after another. Most of them were employed by ivory operators, and a few opened their own workshops to engage in ivory carving.
Engraving processing.
For a time, Shanghai's ivory carving industry flourished.
Some bamboo and stone carving artists in Shanghai have also joined in and turned to ivory carving production, making Shanghai's ivory industry more prosperous.
Most of the ivory products at that time were high-end daily necessities, including ivory chopsticks, cigarette holders, seals, combs, grates, fan bones and fan handles, etc.
During the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, ivory handicrafts such as Buddha statues, black parts and animal parts carved by the skilled craftsmen in the ivory workshops in Nanshi City God's Temple were favored by domestic and foreign antique dealers and collectors, and gradually became a major category of exported handicrafts.
In the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China, due to fundamental changes in the social structure, new production and marketing channels had not yet been established, the ivory carving industry was at a standstill, and there were only 20 ivory carving artists left in Shanghai.
By 1958, there were only 18 tooth carving artists left. With the coordination of the government, a production group was established in the Shanghai Jade Carving Factory.
Shanghai Tooth Carving Crafts Factory was developed on the basis of this tooth carving group.
The person Zhang Junping was looking for was Chen Jinlong, the leader of the ivory carving team at the Shanghai Ivory Carving Factory.
After a lot of talking, Zhang Junping finally met Chen Jinlong in the studio of the ivory carving group.
Chen Jinlong is a middle-aged man in his forties. He is not tall, only about 1.6 meters tall and less than 1.7 meters tall. He wears thick glasses and is polite and polite.
"Hello, Team Leader Chen, my name is Zhang Junping. Mr. Wang Shixiang introduced me to you..."
"You are Xiao Zhang. Brother Wang called me and said that you wanted to ask me about ivory silk products..." Chen Jinlong adjusted his glasses and looked at Zhang Junping before smiling.
Zhang Junping secretly thought to himself that Mr. Wang Shixiang was really interesting. As soon as he said it, he tried his best to help contact Chen Jinlong.
He grinned and said, "Yes, I want to ask Team Leader Chen for advice on some things about the craftsmanship of ivory silk products."
"This... I don't dare to ask for advice. Since it was introduced by Mr. Wang, if there is anything I can do to help, I will definitely help!" Chen Jinlong was very happy.
Zhang Junping glanced around. This studio was a public studio, and more than a dozen craftsmen were processing ivory handicrafts.
These craftsmen use a semi-mechanical and semi-manual processing technology. Although the noise in the entire studio is not very loud, there is still some noise. It is obviously not a good place to discuss things. "Team Leader Chen, please find a place where you can talk more."
Do you want to chat? I know you have always wanted to restore the craft of ivory silk products. Maybe I can provide you with some help, such as funds, materials, etc."
"Okay, let's go to my office to talk!" Chen Jinlong also realized that this was not the place to talk about things, so he invited with a smile.
The leader of the ivory carving team of the ivory carving handicraft factory is equivalent to the workshop director and middle-level leader, and has his own office.
He let Zhang Junping into his office and made Zhang Junping a cup of tea.
"Xiao Zhang... Is it okay if I call you Xiao Zhang?"
"No problem!"
"You just said you were looking for me to study ivory silk products? We don't know each other, right? I don't understand the craftsmanship of ivory silk fabrics, you..." Although Chen Jinlong didn't say the next words, the meaning was very clear.
He didn't know one or two people, and he didn't understand the craftsmanship of ivory silk fabrics. Why would Zhang Junping come to him?
"First, Team Leader Chen is the leader of the ivory carving team, and his understanding of ivory is much better than the average person." Zhang Junping explained with a smile: "Second, although we don't know each other, the Forbidden City Research Institute and I are very familiar with each other.
The experts are all familiar with it. After hearing them talk about Team Leader Chen, I naturally knew that Team Leader Chen wanted to restore the craft of ivory silk products.
As for me, the purpose of looking for Team Leader Chen is very simple. I just want to work with Team Leader Chen to research, restore and replicate the manufacturing process of ivory silk products.
As I said just now, I can't help with other things, but I have money and connections to import a large amount of ivory from Africa." Zhang Junping was very direct, without going around in circles, he directly stated his purpose and put his
The advantages are also stated.
Chen Jinlong has long had the idea of restoring the ivory silk craftsmanship, and has researched some information. He also used his work to conduct some experiments with ivory scraps.
He also summarized some experiences, but he was stuck in not having enough funds and experimental materials for in-depth research, so so far there has been little progress in the research on ivory silk technology.
"Can you provide me with ivory and research funds?" Chen Jinlong was a little confused. This surprise came too suddenly and seemed unreal.
"Yes!" Zhang Junping nodded affirmatively.
"Then what do you need me to do?" Chen Jinlong was not a child either. He was not dazzled by the sudden surprise and asked calmly.
“Calling ivory carving craftsmen to concentrate on studying ivory silk craftsmanship and alternatives to ivory, the main material in ivory silk craftsmanship.
I will provide you with sufficient funding, main materials, as well as researchers’ salaries, bonuses and various benefits.”
"Then what do you want?" Chen Jinlong asked.
Chen Jinlong absolutely does not believe that Zhang Junping has paid so much. He is simply shining for love and selfless to restore the ivory silk craftsmanship.
“What I want is very simple, a process patent for a substitute for ivory silk.
For example, the patent for the production process of horn silk products." Zhang Junping said with a smile.
"Patent?" Chen Jinlong was a little confused.
The word patent was still unfamiliar in the 1980s, and people had no concept of patents at all.
There used to be some large and far-sighted companies that invested a lot of money in researching advanced production techniques, but in the end they went bankrupt after achieving results.