Inlay (Chaozhou inlay)

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: inlay (Chaozhou inlay)

Applicant: Chaozhou Institute of Arts and crafts, Guangdong Province

Project No.: 867

Project No.: Ⅶ - 91

Time of publication: 2011 (the third batch)

Category: traditional art

Region: Guangdong Province

Type: Extension Project

Applicant: Chaozhou Institute of Arts and crafts, Guangdong Province

Protection unit: Chaozhou Institute of Arts and crafts

Brief introduction of inlay (Chaozhou inlay porcelain)

Applicant: Chaozhou Institute of Arts and crafts, Guangdong Province

Chaozhou inlay porcelain, commonly known as "tierao" or "kourao", is a unique craft in Chaoshan area, which uses various kinds of color porcelain pieces to cut and inlay to express the image. Because of its solid texture and long exposure to wind, rain or hot sun, it is known as an eternal bright art.

Chaozhou inlay porcelain has a long history, as early as the Ming Dynasty Wanli years has been used in the folk. At that time, the ceramic production in Chaozhou was developed, and the folk sculpture was in a prosperous period. They began to cut porcelain pieces into simple flowers and inlay them on the buildings. In the Qing Dynasty, it was very popular to build ancestral halls and "Sima Trailer" and other luxury houses in Chaoshan, and the inlaid porcelain decoration on the buildings was further developed. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, porcelain production workshops cooperated with inlay artists to make various low-temperature color porcelain bowls. After being cut, they were inlaid into flat, relief or three-dimensional patterns, which were decorated on the roofs, corners, eaves, door walls and walls of buildings. Some of them were also used for interior decoration of gardens. The themes of inlaid porcelain include flowers and plants, birds and animals, historical figures, opera stories, etc. It reflects the local people's good wishes of praising righteousness, pursuing advantages and avoiding disadvantages, praying for well-being, and placing people's good wishes for good luck, happiness and well-being.

Nowadays, due to the impact of market economy and urbanization process, as well as the change of people's living environment and customs, the traditional inlay technology is facing the situation that there is no one to follow.