Hangzhou rattan weaving is an ancient intangible cultural heritage handicraft, using rattan plants as raw materials to weave a variety of utensils and furniture. Rattan skin lustrous color, smooth feel, excellent elasticity, weaving of daily utensils exquisite craftsmanship, variety, durable, ancient and modern loved by consumers.
Hangzhou rattan weaving is a family heirloom rattan weaving technique, which is made by hand, and the raw materials are also polished by hand, assisted by miniature tools. The main rattan products are divided into three categories: household rattan furniture, catering rattan chairs, and rattan ornaments, which have been passed down to five generations, and each generation is constantly exploring and innovating.
The wisdom of the ancestors
Before truly understanding rattan weaving, many people have the inherent impression that the original state of the material used in rattan weaving is the vine plant attached to the tree, but it is not. Rattan weaving craftsman Xuan Baiyong introduced, "The rattan used in rattan weaving is different from what everyone imagines, it is like sugar cane, section by section, the length can even reach about 10 meters, and most of the raw materials are now imported from Indonesia, where rattan resources are abundant."
"Rattan", mostly grown in the rainy tropical jungle, the special growth environment gives the "rattan" a strong tenacity, therefore, rattan weaving products durable, breathable and environmentally friendly. Normal use can be guaranteed to be not bad for 200 years, so it is deeply loved by consumers, especially the older generation, and they are fond of rattan weaving products.
Rattan weaving is not only a good living tool, but also a peculiar production and even war equipment. Refer to the ancient books, there is a record of the "Vine Armor Army" in the Chronicle of the Three Kingdoms, the so-called "vine armor" is a battle suit woven with rattan, "crossing the river does not sink, the water is not wet, and the swords and arrows cannot enter." After the nineteenth year of Jiaqing (1814), the production of rattan products imported from Indonesia and other countries was also more prosperous.
The path of the fathers
Speaking of Hangzhou's rattan weaving products, the rattan factory operated by Xuanbaiyong can be regarded as a "long-established brand" in the industry, and his father and grandfather were once masters of rattan making, relaying from generation to generation, dictated from generation to generation, and it has been passed down for five generations to Xuanbaiyong.
Watching his family make rattan weaving since he was a child, Xuanbai Yong has heard about it and has a special feeling for the vine. "At that time, I thought it was very magical, piece by piece of rattan, through hand weaving, and finally turned into a chair, practical and beautiful..."
In Xuanbai Yong's childhood impression, in addition to the various beautiful and exquisite rattan utensils woven by his father, he often saw his father bundle the prepared rattan chair to a 28-inch bicycle and ride the car to deliver the goods...
Xuan Baiyong admitted that rattan weaving needs to maintain a posture and sit on a low stool all year round, and periarthritis of the shoulder, cervical vertebral compression, and lumbar muscle strain have become occupational diseases that cannot be escaped.
Sweaty in summer, frostbitten hands in winter, the edge of the vine skin is particularly thin, as sharp as a blade, and it is easy to cut the hand without paying attention, "and this cut is more painful than the knife cut, and the kind of flocculent powder in the upper mouth can make you ache for several days."
Continuation of the spirit
Because of seeing the hardships of his parents, Xuan Baiyong, after understanding things, resolutely decided to take up the burden of the rattan factory operation, "I also think they are too hard, I want to help them share a little, engaged in this aspect of work, may be a predestined thing in the dark ..."
Accumulating day by day, year after year, with the deepening of time and the investment of energy, Xuan Baiyong slowly fell in love with rattan weaving. "After a year of studying, I feel that rattan weaving has endless charm, you can weave the shape you want, and when your ideas become reality, the joy is beyond words."
"The art of rattan weaving has been passed down from four generations in the family, starting from my great-grandfather until my generation, and this traditional skill has been continued. For me, this is not only a craft, but also a responsibility and mission, very warm and challenging. "Xuan Baiyong has his own deep experience and understanding of the inheritance of the family's rattan making skills.
Nowadays, the low-carbon green and environmentally friendly lifestyle has become the mainstream of home culture, and rattan as a fully handmade product, natural, healthy and environmentally friendly, has once again attracted people's attention. In addition to using Internet thinking to broaden sales channels, Xuan baiyong also has its own views on new product development and design, and rattan factories are also adapting to the needs of the market and transforming, integrating more contemporary elements to meet the needs of modern aesthetics.
Traditional craftsmen who create for ingenuity
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