□文、圖/本刊記者 楊艷

外賓相中的重慶漆器是如何煉成的？

□文、圖/本刊記者 楊艷

手工磨硯。（圖片由受訪者提供）

在2016年中國國際友好城市大會的休息區(qū)，一批精美的重慶工藝品讓遠道而來的外國賓客大開眼界，其中流光溢彩的漆器，以其髹飾技藝的精美吸引了不少外賓的目光，大家紛紛對這門“老手藝”贊不絕口，而這些漆器正出產(chǎn)于重慶市城口縣。城口漆器采用當?shù)靥烊簧岷吞烊荒静臑椴牧系褡脸晒に嚻?，制作工藝?jīng)過不斷革新，如今，重慶漆器髹飾技藝已成為國家級非物質文化遺產(chǎn)的重要內容。不僅如此，城口漆器頻頻作為國禮贈送給外賓，其知名度已遠播海外。

得天獨厚的自然條件是福祉

為了探尋外國賓客鐘意的重慶漆器是如何煉成的，記者探訪了位于城口縣的山神漆器展覽館。館內展示了用漆涂在各種器物的表面上所制成的日常器具和工藝品。館內的“鎮(zhèn)館之寶”是一件名為“金地五牛瓶”的漆瓶，色彩雍容富貴，質感精致細膩，觸感如絲綢般順滑，其精美程度令人驚嘆。

中國工藝美術協(xié)會漆藝專業(yè)委員會副主任、《漆器通用技術國家標準》評審專家、中國“金鳳凰”新產(chǎn)品設計大獎賽評委、中國工藝美術行業(yè)藝術大師蔡澤榮，向記者詳細介紹了制作過程：這款漆器利用環(huán)香木脫脂干燥后鏤空成胎，在胎體表面刷上天然生漆加固，采用傳統(tǒng)工藝的變涂、磨硯、貼金等技法，將中國十大傳統(tǒng)名畫《五牛圖》磨硯于瓶體表面，傳統(tǒng)工藝與名畫藝術相結合，五頭牛栩栩如生，畫面層次豐富。

蔡澤榮告訴記者，城口漆器之所以如此之美，首先就在于它的材料美。他說：“生漆的品質位居全國之首，就在于城口縣冬暖夏涼的氣候和優(yōu)良的空氣質量，即空氣濕度，為制作精美漆器提供了得天獨厚的自然條件。善于傳承、善于創(chuàng)新的城口漆匠，充分利用這份大自然的恩賜，將漆器的制作世代相傳。”生漆是從漆樹上采割的一種乳白色純天然液體，在接觸空氣后會慢慢變?yōu)楹稚⒂不蔀槠崮?，這是一種耐酸堿、抗腐蝕的天然涂料，脫水活化后，經(jīng)過配色可制成色彩艷麗的美術漆。

手工打磨。（圖片由受訪者提供）

手工鑲嵌。（圖片由受訪者提供）

金地五牛瓶

蔡澤榮大師認為，地處偏遠的城口雖然經(jīng)濟發(fā)展滯后，但群山阻隔，相反使未被過度開發(fā)的城口縣被賦予了優(yōu)質的生態(tài)環(huán)境，同時也造福了當?shù)厝恕?/p>

中國生漆產(chǎn)地廣闊，有重慶城口生漆，陜西安康生漆，湖北恩施毛壩生漆，還有貴州畢節(jié)生漆，是我國的四大名漆。從地理位置來看，城口縣居四大產(chǎn)地之中，它的好品質使得城口縣贏得了“中國生漆之鄉(xiāng)”的稱號。

繁瑣工藝凝結民間千年智慧

總的來說，除了重慶，漆器產(chǎn)地主要分布于北京、揚州、上海、福建、山西、貴州、甘肅、江西等地。2016年在浙江省跨湖橋遺址出土的“漆弓”被專家稱之為中國的“漆之源”，這是迄今為止，發(fā)現(xiàn)最早的中國漆器，距今已有8000年的歷史，可見，中國人從那時就認識了漆的性能并用木作胎制成漆器，用于日常生活當中。隨著中國的漆器工藝不斷發(fā)展，時至今日，漆器已從使用領域步入了具有審美功能的藝術領域，從以前的食器、工具等日常用品發(fā)展到今天的花瓶、手鐲、掛畫等飾品。

漆器制作過程繁瑣，其流程包括底胎、裝飾、打磨、拋光等等。首先需要堆漆上色，接下來的工序包括用畫筆繪制圖案，在漆器胎體上鑲嵌鈿片，用刀雕刻花紋等等，而且每件漆器都要通過打磨來控制色彩深淺和光滑度，每完成一道工序后，漆器都要在25℃上下的環(huán)境中陰干約一周時間，然后才能進行下一道工序。

何為木作胎？據(jù)蔡澤榮介紹，漆器的胎身通常分木胎和脫胎兩種，所謂木胎就是精選優(yōu)質木材為木胎，脫胎是以泥土、石膏等塑成胎坯，經(jīng)過多層工序制成堅實輕盈的胎體?！俺强谄崞饕阅緸樘ンw，用夏布糊漆貼于胎面防裂，再涂刮天然漆灰水，將之磨光滑后，用精制后的天然漆髹飾于表面，在髹飾表面的過程中匠人融入了極其豐富的文化內容。與一般漆器相比，城口漆器更不易腐朽，更加耐用，更有質感。它的制作過程是人與自然天人合一的過程?！?/p>

蔡澤榮大師說，“城口漆器充分表現(xiàn)了當?shù)仄峤车闹腔?，憑借大巴山這個福地，當?shù)剞r民運用生漆為主要材料，與髹飾工藝相結合，開創(chuàng)了這獨具特色的漆藝文化。漆器的高貴氣質與獨特美感，是傳統(tǒng)藝術與文化的生動體現(xiàn)，漆藝將使用與審美藝術相結合，是物質文明與精神文明高度融合的結晶，是城口人民傳統(tǒng)文化的一顆璀璨明珠?！?/p>

工匠精神讓漆器制作世代相傳

一門老手藝，傳承與守護至關重要。“梅花香自苦寒來，洗凈浮華獨匠心”，蔡澤榮說，“在這經(jīng)濟高速發(fā)展、人心浮躁的年代，傳承一門手藝可不容易，除了要有精雕細琢、用心鉆研、持續(xù)改善、精益求精的匠人精神，還得有一顆排除外界干擾，熱愛和堅守這門手藝的情懷，要學這門手藝，就得吃得苦，熬得住，守得住?！?/p>

到漆樹的生長地，觀察漆樹苗的生長環(huán)境，熟練掌握割漆的時間、季節(jié)等，是每一個漆器傳承人需要學習的本領。在接觸生漆時，還得格外小心，生漆“咬人”，極易引起皮膚過敏，這些都是漆器制作過程中必須吃苦的一部分。

“制作漆器的過程是很枯燥的，這每一道流程都由數(shù)10種工序組成，比如制作底胎就有10多道工序，裝飾環(huán)節(jié)甚至可高達上百道工序。要做好一件漆器作品，從開始采集到制作出成品，其間耗費的時間相當長，少則兩三個月，多則三年五載。”蔡澤榮說，每一件漆器作品的成形得經(jīng)過漫長等待，漆器制作就是一個“磨性子”的活兒，慢工才能出細活，急不得，所以得熬得住。

用蔡澤榮的話說，這是一個考驗手藝人的時代?！耙坏┻M入這個行業(yè)，除了熬得住，還得有創(chuàng)新意識。由于現(xiàn)在社會的迅猛發(fā)展和工業(yè)文明的沖擊，近年國民收入水平上去了，掙錢的機會多了，面對的誘惑就多了，現(xiàn)在很多手藝人轉行了，真正傳承手藝的人越來越少了?！辈虧蓸s作為城口漆品的代表性傳承人，他14歲時就正式拜城口老漆匠為師，一直致力于傳統(tǒng)漆藝傳承和創(chuàng)新，他認為手藝人需要具備“偏執(zhí)”的性格，有把事情做到極致，將一條路走到底的執(zhí)著勁，才能守住前輩傳下來的這筆財富，才能將城口漆器發(fā)揚光大，聞名于國內外。

延伸閱讀

各國的漆器與技藝

漆器不是中國獨有，日本有蒔繪漆器，緬甸有編結類胎骨漆器，越南有磨漆畫，韓國有螺鈿漆器，每個國家都有各自的風格和特色。

日本

“蒔繪漆器”是日本獨具民族特色的漆器，“描金”技術精湛，以金、銀作為裝飾花紋，即日本所謂的“蒔繪”，以金、銀屑加入漆液中，干后推光處理，顯示出金銀色澤，極盡華貴，有時加入螺鈿、銀絲嵌出花鳥草蟲或吉祥圖案。

緬甸

編結類胎骨漆器是緬甸傳統(tǒng)漆器的代表，包括馬鬃編結胎骨漆器和竹編漆器等。工匠用馬鬃、竹篾作胎，在胎上刷灰，然后髹以黑漆，再雕刻出各種紋樣，在刻紋中填漆，用色多為紅、黃、綠3種，與中國填漆接近。

越南

據(jù)《越南史料》記載，越南漆器的裝飾手法以螺鈿、箔繪為主，制作工藝包括金銀蒔繪、螺鈿鑲嵌等，風格與中國廣州彩瓷和粵繡多有相通之處。越南人融合了古代中國大漆髹飾技藝與現(xiàn)代法國繪畫藝術，開創(chuàng)出越南“磨漆畫”，與中國漆畫相比，其繪畫性更為突出。

韓國

韓國的螺鈿漆器歷史，可以追溯到樂浪時代。螺鈿漆器是用經(jīng)過研磨、裁切的貝殼薄片作為鑲嵌紋飾的漆器。所謂薄螺鈿是通過精心選用夜光螺等優(yōu)質貝殼，將其剝離、裁切成纖細的點、線、片，然后一點一點地嵌貼于漆器之上，有時還加入金、銀的條、片、屑等，再經(jīng)髹飾、推光而成，作品精致纖巧。

Displayed in the resting area of 2016 China International Friendship Cities Conference,a batch of exquisite craftworks from Chongqing broadened the outlook of foreign guests from afar.Of these,the glittering lacquerworks produced from Chengkou County of Chongqing attracted the attention of numerous foreign visitors with their f ne crafts,namely Xiushi (a kind of traditional lacquering technique which was usually adopted in the ancient artworks).They all were profuse in praise of this“time-honored traditional craft”.Lacquerware from Chengkou County is carved into a craftwork with local natural raw lacquer and natural woods.Nowadays,as its operating craft has been innovated constantly,the Xiushi technique in Chongqing lacquerworks has been listed as the important part of National Intangible Cultural Heritage.Nevertheless,the Chengkou lacquerworks as the gift are given away to foreign guests so frequently that it has enjoyed world-wide popularity.

The well-being from the nature-endowed condition

To explore how to manufacture the Chongqing lacquerwork which foreign visitors take fancy of,journalist visited the Shanshen lacquer exhibition hall located in the Chengkou County in which some daily appliances or craftworks painted with lacquer in the surface are displayed.The lacquer vase painted with f ve cattle,hence named as“Golden Five Oxen V ase”,is conserved as the measure of exhibition hall.It gains the amazing praise for its f neness,elegance and rich in colors,exquisite texture,and silk-like tactility.

Cai Zerong,deputy director of the Specialized Committee of Chinese Lacquer Crafts Association,the evaluation expert of National standards for general technology of lacquerware,the judge of China“Golden Phoenix”New Product Design Contest and the master of Chinese arts and crafts industry,introduced its operating in detail to the journalist: this kind of lacquerware is hollowed into the blank after drying and degreasing with sandal wood,reinforced by painting natural raw lacquer on the surface of green body,and employs the variable coating and inkstone grinding,gilding and other traditional techniques.Combing traditional crafts and famous paintings,it grinds the Five Oxen,one of the ten Chinese famous traditional paintings on the surface of vase,on which these f ve oxen are extremely lifelike with multi-leveled structure.

Mr.Cai told journalist that why Chengkou lacquerware is so beautiful lies in its f ne materials.He said,“Thenice climate in Chengkou County,which is warm in winter,cool in summer and excellent in air quality,offers a proper air humidity.The quality of law lacquer which ranks frst in China is attributed to its favorable natural conditions which contribute to the manufacturing of graceful lacquerware.Lacquerers in Chengkou who do well in the inheritance and innovation take full use of nature’s gift to pass on the lacquerware production from generation to generation.”Raw lacquer is a kind of natural ivory-white liquid obtained from sumac which will gradually turn into brown color after being exposed to air and then be hardened into lacquer coating.It is a natural coating material resistant against acid,alkali and corrosion which can be made into bright-colored aesthetical lacquer through color matching after dehydration and activation.

Master Cai suggested that the economic development of Chengkou is lagging behind for its geographic remoteness.But conversely,separated by mountains,the unspoiled Chengkou is endowed with a highquality ecological environment,thus benef ting the local people.

In China,a number of places produce raw lacquer including Chengkou in Chongqing,Ankang in Shaanxi Province,Maoba,Enshi Prefecture of Hubei Province and Bijie of Guizhou Province,which boast the four Chinese famous lacquers.From the view of geographical location,Chengkou is located in the center of the four major producing areas and wins the title of“the hometown of Chinese raw lacquer”for its good quality.

Millennium folk wisdom condensed in the processtedious craft

Generally speaking,in addition to Chongqing,the producting area of lacquerware mainly distributes in the Beijing,Yangzhou,Shanghai,Fujian,Shanxi,Guizhou,Gansu and Jiangxi.In 2016,the“l(fā)acquering bow”was unearthed in the the Kuahu Bridge Ruins of Zhejiang Province,which is praised as the origin of Chinese lacquer.So far it is the earliest discovery of lacquerwork with a long history of 8000 years.We can see that ancient Chinese people have been familiar withthe property of lacquer since that time,known how to make lacquerworks with wooden green body,and used them in the daily life.With the continued development of Chinese lacquer craft,up to this day,lacquerworks have stepped into artworks with aesthetic function and artistic value from the realm of art usage and expanded the range from daily supplies like utensils for food and instrument to a variety of ornaments like vase,bracelet and hanging scroll paintings.

“The blank of lacquerware mainly includes wooden body and adobe”.W ooden body is referred to the hard and light blank made of high-quality woods through multiple procedures while the adobe is made of clay,gypsum and others.”Mr.Cai introduced,“l(fā)acquerworks of Chengkou use wooden blank,paint with the grass linen paste on the blank for the sake of anti-crack,scrap the natural lacquer water,polish them and f nally employ the Xiushi technique to paint the carefully-manufactured natural lacquer on the surface,during which rich culture and geographic marks will be integrated into the process.Compared with the common lacquerworks,the lacquerworks from Chengkou are not perishable but durable with highquality texture.Their operating process demonstrates the union of man and nature.”

The process of manufacturing lacquerware is tedious including molding basic blank,decoration,grinding,polishing and other procedures.First of all,paint the colors on the blank; next,brush a pattern,inlay the tin plate into the blank and carve patterns with knife.Besides,the color and smoothness of each lacquerware must be controlled by polishing; lacquerworks must be dried in the shade of 25℃ for about one week after finishing each procedure and next procedure can be carried out.

Master Cai said,“l(fā)acquerwork of Chengkou gives full prominence to the wisdom of local lacquer workers.Benefiting from the endowment of Daba Mountain,local people use raw lacquer as the major material and combine with Xiushi technique,creating such unique culture of lacquer craft.”The elegance and special aesthetics of lacquerworks vividly demonstrate the Chinese traditional art and culture; combining the usage and aesthetic art,lacquer art is both the product from the high integration of material and spiritual civilization and the bright pearl of Chengkou traditional culture.

The lacquerware manufacturing was passed on from generation to generation by the spirit of lacquer workers

Inheritance and conservation of an old craft is of great importance.“Plum blossom’s fragrance comes from the bitter cold; clean the delusion for the wealth and greed,and refresh your spirit to free from vulgarity.”Mr.Cai told,“in the era of rapid economic development and f ckleness among people,it is not easy to inherit one craft.For this reason,in addition to such spirit of lacquer workers that they devote themselves to the study on the continued improvement and refinement with their careful and great endeavor,the enthusiasm and resolution to conserve the craft are needed to free from the external disturbance.To master the lacquer craft requires us to be diligent,patient and resolute.”

It is essential for the inheritors of lacquer craft to be familiar with the time and seasons and other details related to the sumac by observing the growing environment of lacquer saplings in the growth place of sumac.When touching raw lacquer,you must be careful because raw lacquer is likely to“hurt you”- give rise to the skin allergies,which is the inevitable part of hardship you must overcome in the manufacturing of lacquerware.

Mr.Cai said,“the process of manufacturing lacquerworks is dull since each of these processes needs dozens of procedures.For example,more thanten procedures are required to make a blank and even more than a hundred ones for the ornament process.It takes a quite long time,no less than two or three months and up to three or f ve years,to f nish a lacquerware from the beginning of collection to the completion.”He also suggested that the completion of each lacquerware acquires us to wait for a long time.To manufacture a lacquerware needs much patience,but the spirit of lacquer workers,careful and continued endeavors to improve the craft,will be cultivated.All in all,as meticulous ef forts lead to the f ne works,don’t hurry up but be patient and wait.

According to the words of Mr.Cai,we can see that today is an era to test craftsmen.“Once you enter into the handicraft industry,you have to not only be patient but also pursue the creation and innovation.Due to the accelerating of modern society and the shocking of industrial civilization,in recent years,with more opportunities to earn more money,the level of national income is raised.As a result,the growing external temptations lead to the job switch of craftsmen.Consequently,less and less people are devoted to inheritance of crafts.”Master Cai,as the representative inheritor of Chengkou lacquerwork,has been committed to the inheritance and innovation of traditional lacquer craft since he was apprenticed to the the elder lacquerer at the age of fourteen.He claimed that craftsmen should have the“paranoid”personality of making things perfect.Only when we have the resolution to insist on one road until the last minute,can we conserve the wealth passed down by our predecessors,thus carrying forward the lacquerworks of Chengkou and making them enjoy the world-wide popularity and reputation.

Extended reading

The lacquerworks and crafts from various countries

Lacquerware isn’t unique to China since dif ferent countries have their own styles and features like Maki-e lacquerware from Japan,knitting blank lacquerware from Myanmar,lacquer-grinding painting from V ietnam and mother-of-pearl lacquerware from South Korea.

Japan

Maki-e lacquerware is a kind of lacquerwork with unique Japanese ethnic flavor.Japan is consummate in the technique of drawing gold line with gold and silver as decorative patterns.The so-called Japanese Maki-e is referred to a kind of technique that puts the gold and silver bits into the lacquer liquid,polishing after drying it.After the above procedures,the lacquerware will look graceful and showy with the bright color and lustre.Sometimes,lacquerworks are inlaid with the patterns off ower,bird,grass,insect and auspicious others in mother-of-pearl and f lamentary sliver.

Myanmar

The knitting blank lacquerware is the representative of traditional Burmese lacquerware including horsehair-knitting blank lacquerware,bambooknitting lacquerware and others.Lacquer workers use the horsehair and bamboo split to make blank; brush the lacquer ash on the blank; paint the black lacquer with Xiushi technique; carve into various patterns; f ll lacquer into the engraving with three colors of red,yellow and green,which is close to the Chinese method off lling lacquer.

Vietnam

According to the recorded history of V ietnam,lacquerware in V ietnam is mainly decorated with mother-of-pearl and foil painting.Its manufacturing crafts mainly include gold and silver Maki-e,mother-of-pearl inlay,which has something in common with the porcelain of Guangzhou,China and Guangdong embroidery.Vietnamese lacquer workers combine the Xiushi lacquer technique and modern French painting art,creating their grinding lacquer painting.Compared with Chinese lacquer painting,it is prominent in the feature of painting.

South Korea

The history of mother-of-pearl lacquerware can be traced back to the era of Yuelang (one of the four Commanderies of Han Dynasty in the Korean Peninsula).This kind of lacquerware is inlaid with shell chips which are processed through grinding and cutting as the ornament.The so-called light mother-of-pearl is manufactured though many procedures including carefully selecting good-quality shells like green snail; peel them off and cut them into the light points,lines and pieces; inlay them on the bottom of lacquerware little by litter; sometimes,polish them with the Xiushi technique with the gold and silver bars,pieces and chips.All of these meticulous and tedious procedures lead to the f neness of Korean lacquerware.

How to Manufacture the Chongqing Lacquerware of Which Foreign Guests Take Fancy ?

□Article,Picture/Journalist Yang Yan