Folk embroidery (tiger-head shoes), an extension of the traditional art category of the fourth batch of representative items of Huai'an's municipal intangible cultural heritage. Historical evolution Tiger-head shoes are a kind of children's shoes made by traditional Chinese folk handicrafts. Because the toe of the shoe is in the shape of a tiger head, it is called tiger-head shoes. It belongs to the category of folk embroidery. In the Han Dynasty, my country already had the custom of painting tigers on the door on New Year's Eve, which opened the precedent of Chinese folk New Year paintings. Later, the folk custom of painting tigers to ward off evil spirits and protect the house became a tradition among the people and has continued to this day. After a long time and rich cultural filling, the image of the tiger has been symbolized from complex to simple, exorcising evil spirits and praying for blessings. This is the folk connotation of the image of the tiger. Because the tiger is given the meaning of exorcising evil spirits and protecting the house from disasters, the ancients often decorated the objects with the animal face of the tiger. The folks regarded the tiger as the guardian of children, let the children wear tiger-head shoes, wear tiger-head hats, and sleep on tiger-head pillows. The image of the tiger is shaped to be both mighty and clumsy and cute, implying that the child can grow up to be tiger-headed, strong and lively. Since ancient times, there has been a custom in Lianshui area to wear tiger-head shoes to pray for blessings, drive away epidemics, and pray for peace. Basic content and characteristics The production method of tiger-head shoes in Lianshui area is the same as that in other areas. They all need to go through several steps such as making a sling, cutting shoe patterns, sewing shoe soles, embroidering tiger faces, and putting on shoe uppers. Making a sling: A sling is a thick piece of cloth made by pasting waste cloth together in multiple layers with paste. It is basically used as a sole and is an essential raw material for making tiger-head shoes. The sole and upper are made of it. First, you need a flat, crack-free wooden board, then brush a layer of flour-boiled paste on the board, and stick a layer of waste cloth on it. If it is a piece of scrap cloth, you should also pay attention to the edge docking, and stick it flat and smooth to prevent the sole or upper from being uneven. Then brush another layer of paste and stick a layer of cloth. Generally, 35 layers are needed. After sticking, put it in a ventilated place to dry, and peel it off to make a sling. Cutting samples: First, use the shoe sole sample as a mold and cut the lining for the sole. Generally, one sole uses 34 layers, and to make a pair of tiger-head shoes, you need to cut 68 linings in a row. Then stack the linings of the two soles together and sew them simply with thick hemp rope. This is the prototype of the sole. Sewing the sole: When sewing the sole, you should choose a color that is obviously different from the sole, but also match it with a coordinated color thread. The color thread is generally a thick thread made by twisting multiple strands of thin threads together. Because the sole is relatively thick, needles and awls are often used when sewing the sole. The needles and awls poke holes, the large needles lead the thread, and the thread is pulled and tightened in one go. The thread flowers can also be sewn in various shapes, including oblique arrangement, cross flowers, diamonds, and various patterns that can be imagined. Embroidering tiger faces: The tiger face has a shoe face style passed down by ancestors. The clever folk artists have long memorized it by heart. They can easily cut a vivid shape, and they can also design shoe face samples according to needs. Place the cut pattern on the fabric for embroidering the tiger face, trace the shape with a pen, and then start embroidering. Generally, the tiger face embroidery starts with the tiger nose, followed by the eyebrows, eyes, mouth, teeth and the "king" character on the forehead. Finally, use golden silk thread to outline the edge, and the whole tiger face will be more beautiful. The tiger face is the most colorful part of the whole tiger-head shoe. A few strands of colored silk threads turn into a lively tiger face in a blink of an eye, with a snow-white peach nose, black tiger eyes, and a pink lotus face, which is really adorable. With the changes of time and the changes in the regions of circulation, the facial shape has become rich and colorful, including mother and child tigers, unicorn tigers, tigers with the character "king", sparrows and tigers, etc. Many other small animals are added to the tiger face, such as butterflies, dragonflies, magpies, etc. There are many styles, all depending on personal vision and preference. Cut the embroidered tiger face into the same shape as the front half of the upper, and then put the tiger face on the upper in combination with the hemming. The requirements for the strips of cloth used to wrap the tiger face are basically the same as those for wrapping the sole, but they can be narrower. Put the tiger face on the front of the upper, that is, the upper tiger face, and then put the edge cloth strips on top of the tiger face, align the edges, and sew the three together. When sewing, follow the direction of the tiger face and sew it up in order, including the two tiger ears. Then turn the cloth strips down and sew again. This time, the needle should not be pierced on the cloth strips, but on the fabric embroidered with the tiger face. In this way, the stitches cannot be seen from the front, and the tiger-head shoes can be considered exquisite and authentic. Upper the upper: After the sole and upper are fully prepared, they should be sewn together, that is, the upper. First, fold the tiger face at the front of the upper in half and sew it. Then sew the part reserved for the tiger face close to the front of the upper. When putting on the upper, start from the front tiger face, sew the stitches evenly, and pull the string tightly. You can also fold the bottom edge of the upper inward a little to facilitate piercing. Just like sewing the sole, the upper part needs the cooperation of awl, hemp rope and large needle. The awl pokes holes, the large needle guides the thread, and then the thread is pulled and the rope is tightened in one go. When both sides are sewn to the middle, the back of the upper is measured and sewn together, and then the upper part is sewn. After the upper part is sewn, the tiger whiskers need to be tied. The tiger whiskers are made of colored wool. First, choose a small strand of wool that matches the color of the tiger-head shoes. Take about six or seven strands, wrap it around your fingers a few times, cut it off, tie it on both sides of the tiger's mouth, and trim it into a pompom shape. The tiger-head shoes will immediately add a little spirit. When the child puts on the tiger-head shoes and walks, the tiger whiskers made of these two pompoms tremble up and down, which is very cute. At this point, the tiger-head shoes are complete. In addition to the simple tiger face shape, tiger-head shoes are also embroidered with other patterns, such as goldfish, lotus, rabbit worshiping the moon, longevity characters, butterflies, bees, lilies, and ruyi, etc. There are also tiger-head pillows and tiger-head hats. The tiger-head shoes in Lianshui are colorful and harmonious, not gaudy, with fine workmanship and lifelike images. They are not only sturdy and durable, but also cater to people's beautiful wishes for joy, peace, and happiness. The production of tiger-head shoes has a deep folk cultural foundation and meets people's psychological needs to worship tiger culture. They have high practical value, as well as ornamental value, folk value, and collection value. At present, there are only a handful of folk artists in Lianshui who can skillfully make tiger-head shoes, and most young people are unwilling to learn. The inheritance of tiger-head shoe making skills is worrying, and it is urgent to strengthen inheritance and protection. (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.) (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.)