Weihai tin inlay technique

Shandong
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The tin inlay technique in Weihai has a history of more than 100 years. It originated in the late years of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty. It became famous at home and abroad in the 1920s and 1930s. It flourished during the British occupation of Weihaiwei. It was depressed during the Anti-Japanese War. It began to revive after liberation, especially since the reform and opening up, and has reached its peak. Tin-inlaid tea sets are made by smelting, casting, forging, carving, and welding tin alloys into various patterns, and then inlaid on Yixing purple sand tea sets in Jiangsu or Boshan camellia sets in Shandong. Finally, they are polished to form exquisite and beautiful practical works of art. The inlay parts of tea sets are exquisite, and the tin sheet patterns are beautiful. For example, teapots are mostly inlaid on the spout, body, lid, and neck of the pot. The patterns on the lid are five (bats) holding longevity, magpies climbing plums, etc. The air holes in the middle of the lid are cast with special Guangxu copper coins. The patterns on the body of the pot are mostly blue dragons playing with pearls, dragons and phoenixes presenting auspiciousness, pine and cranes prolonging life, etc. The production of tin-inlaid tea sets is generally divided into five steps: the first step is smelting. Melt the whole piece of tin alloy. The second step is casting. To make the mold, a professional painter draws the pattern, and the engraver engraves the created pattern on the mold. Then, pour the molten tin and gold into the mold. The third step is forging. After the tin alloy poured into the mold cools down, take it out and polish it. The fourth step is engraving. Use a carving knife to carve finely on the surface of the tin. The fifth step is welding. Pull the tin pattern into shape according to the arc of the tea set, connect the engraved pattern on the tea set with tin, and fix it on the tea set for polishing. The tin-inlaid teapot is a handicraft that integrates art appreciation and daily life. It is purely handmade, and the pattern is clearly engraved, vivid, and lifelike. It involves nature, humanities, and the local customs and customs of Weihai, embodies the beauty of harmony between man and nature, and records the cultural atmosphere of different historical periods. It has a very high artistic appreciation value. Some small utensils are equipment for the elderly to play with after dinner and leisure, similar to the function of fitness balls. The beautiful small tin pot is repeatedly wiped in people's hands, shining and attractive. In addition to tea sets, there are also inlaid canes, high-end vases, fishing rods, milk cans, sugar cans, white water cans, water bowls, trophies, souvenirs and other products closely related to people's lives.

Intangible culture related to the heritage

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