Inlay (color stone inlay)

The name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: inlay (color stone inlay)

Applicant: Xianju County, Zhejiang Province

Project No.: 867

Project No.: Ⅶ - 91

Time of publication: 2008 (second batch)

Category: traditional art

Region: Zhejiang Province

Type: new item

Applicant: Xianju County, Zhejiang Province

Protection unit: Xianju Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center

Introduction to inlay (color stone inlay)

Applicant: Xianju County, Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province

Chinese mosaic art has a long history and unique style. In the Yin and Shang Dynasties, the decorative patterns of inlaying gold and jade appeared in bronze casting. With the continuous improvement of the technological level, natural colored stone, pebble, shell, mother of pearl, gem, jade, artificial glass, ceramics, wood and so on have become the raw materials for inlaying. In the long-term development process, mosaic art has accumulated many important technical means, mainly including direct mosaic method, prefabrication method, reverse mounting method, positive mounting method and so on. In addition to plane inlay, it can also be inlaid on relief, which can further enhance the stereo sense of the inlaid object. After the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the method of relief inlay was widely used in the decoration of various handicrafts. In the middle and late Qing Dynasty, there were also relief inlay methods of inlaying opera characters on different "dizi", such as inlay porcelain and bone wood inlay. Inlaid handicraft has the advantages of firmness, light resistance, moisture resistance and not easy to change color. The texture of materials and the resulting shape, color and light effects add artistic charm to the inlaid handicraft, showing the beauty of ruggedness, richness and gorgeous.

Color stone inlay is a kind of traditional decorative art popular in southern Zhejiang Province. It evolved from the traditional lacquerware craft of "inlaying mother of Pearl". It is mainly inlaid with colorful Qingtian stone. Color stone inlay has tenon inlay, spell inlay, stick inlay and other techniques, as well as relief, round carving, hollow carving and other forms of expression. Its technological process consists of 15 processes, including draft, shape, layout, carving, calendering, matching, wood, paint, inlay, carving, sticking, wax, management, description and installation. Most of the colored stone inlays in southern Zhejiang are ornamental handicrafts, such as hanging screen, vertical screen, large screen and desk display. The large ones are magnificent, while the small ones are exquisite. The design, layout and production are very ingenious. The works, which are inlaid with natural color and texture of stone, have a wide range of themes, rich in layers and outstanding color effect. These inlays depict small landscapes of flowers and birds, or represent major historical events, or copy classic calligraphy and paintings, or reproduce the scenes of famous literary figures, showing a strong decorative and technological beauty.