Recently, yangxin county provincial intangible cultural heritage project tin pot making technology was invited to participate in the "River harmony contract" 2021 Yellow River Basin, along the Grand Canal intangible cultural heritage exchange and display activities held in Tai'an, widely praised.
The "Deed of River Harmony" 2021 Intangible Cultural Heritage Exchange and Exhibition Week along the Yellow River Basin and along the Grand Canal, with the theme of "Promoting the Revitalization of Traditional Handicrafts and Strengthening the Systematic Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage", is divided into three parts: "The Continuation of Civilization" and the Exhibition of Traditional Crafts for the Revitalization of the Yellow River Basin in Shandong Province, the "Flowing Culture" Exhibition of Achievements of the Provincial Cultural and Ecological Protection Zone along the Grand Canal of Shandong Province, and the High-end Forum. "The Continuation of Civilization" The collection of traditional crafts for the revitalization of the Yellow River Basin in Shandong Province is divided into five major sections: "gold, wood, water, fire and earth". The Yangxin tin pot making technique was displayed on the spot in the "Gold" technology section.
Yangxin tin pot has a long history of production, and the technical process is simple but refined. When making a tin pot, the tin is first melted into tin water in a casserole, and then the tin water is poured into two splint slits and waited for a while, and when it cools, it becomes a tin sheet. After that, according to the size and shape of the tin pot, the parts are cut out according to the paper pattern. Each piece of part needs to be pounded thousands of times to make the desired arc and shape. The individual parts are then welded with a hot soldering iron using the fusible characteristics of the tin, and then the splices are polished. Finally, the surface of the pot is engraved with various figures, flowers, birds and animals, and a delicate tin pot is made.
Wei Zhenshan, the third generation of tin pot making in Sangbei Chen Village, Yangxin County, is 86 years old, and he is no longer able to make tin pots. Wei Zhenshan's son, the fourth generation of Wei Bingxian, although he is 60 years old, he is very skilled at manipulating these ancient tools for making tin products.
Wei Bingxian told reporters that his family's tin pot making technology was learned more than 100 years ago when his father Wei Zhenshan's grandfather Wei Faxiang sold ten acres of good land for tuition. Due to the high tuition fees, Wei Faxiang worked hard, and the original three-year apprenticeship period was completed in two years. From the 1920s to the 1960s, Wei's family had developed into a well-known family-style pewter making workshop. In order to prevent others from impersonating and establishing their own brand, they also created the brand name "Shunshengxiang". The second generation of tin pot making is all masters of tin making, but in the third generation, only Wei Zhenshan's family is skilled and kind, and the tin crafts and his fame are gradually famous. Every process of tin pot making requires the naked eye to "master the heat", which requires a long period of exploration and experience. The production process is to pour tin water into the gap between two old green bricks, cool it and make a tin sheet, and then cut out the tin sheet according to the size and shape of the item, hammer and bend it to make a shape. Then use a soldering iron to carefully burn the seams, and then polish them, and also engrave the patterns, or the pictures of the four seasons such as xia he, qiu ju, dong mei, chunlan, etc., or the heads of Kong Meng and Li Du, which are so exquisite.
In May 2013, the tin pot making technique was announced by the Shandong Provincial People's Government as the third batch of provincial intangible cultural heritage representative projects.
(Reporting by Cheng Qianqian, client reporter of Dazhong Daily, correspondent Zhai Chengxin, and Wang Xiaoli)