Willow weaving (Cao county willow weaving)

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Liubian (Cao county Liubian)

Applicant: Cao County, Shandong Province

Project No.: 831

Project No.: Ⅶ - 55

Time of publication: 2011 (the third batch)

Category: traditional art

Region: Shandong Province

Type: Extension Project

Applicant: Cao County, Shandong Province

Protection unit: Caoxian folk traditional handicrafts Research Association

Brief introduction of willow weaving in Caoxian County

Applicant: Cao County, Shandong Province

Caoxian willow weaving skills are mainly distributed in yuelou village, Weizhuang village and guyingji town of Niji Township, Caoxian County, Shandong Province.

Cao county is rich in Salix, whose wicker has the characteristics of thin skin, flexibility, white, solid and strong coloring power, which laid a good foundation for the development of willow weaving technology. For a long time, local people have made a living by weaving willows. The willow weaving artists inherited the ancestral motto of "pass on male to female", and inherited the willow weaving skills from father to son. The economic form of self-sufficiency in the agricultural era determines the traditional way of life of the people. Local people often make use of the Chinese wolfberry and willow sticks they grow at home, or invite artists to weave baskets and buckets to satisfy their family needs. Sometimes they will take the baskets and baskets to the market for sale in exchange for food, vegetables and other daily necessities. The main varieties of Caoxian willow weaving are light food baskets, vegetable baskets, fruit plates, baskets, dustpan and animal shaped baskets, as well as unique flower baskets, gift boxes, wall hanging and other works of art. The shape is full of novelty, the color is white and bright, and the decoration is concise and beautiful. As willow material is renewable resources, green and pollution-free, it is welcomed by people.

As a typical representative of Caoxian folk art, the modeling and decoration of Caoxian willow products mostly reflect the aesthetic trend of the local people. With the development of modern economy, the traditional wicker material is gradually replaced by glass, plastic and other new materials, and the wicker weaving technology is gradually fading out of people's vision, which is in urgent need of social protection and development.