Modern Express News (Reporter Yin Yixing text / photo) "The glass is constantly adjusted in high temperature and has become the ideal appearance. Zhang Yan, a post-80s Nanjing native and partner in a handicraft studio, recently added a new handicraft experience – firing glass with muskets into handicrafts such as rings and necklaces.
△ Zhang Yan is making glass jewelry with a musket
Zhang Yan's studio is about 50 square meters and is divided into three areas - handmade ceramics area, mussel bead DIY area, and glass firing area. The glass-firing area is directly opposite the balcony, "because the production process requires the use of spray guns, so the environment should be a little more ventilated and the light should be better." Zhang Yan explained. Precautions for glass firing on the wall - Dai Meitu prohibits operation, and it is forbidden to directly touch the fired work with your hands to avoid burns; Glass is a fragile item, handle it with care, pay attention to proper storage... Zhang Yan told the Modern Express reporter that these are all the "pits" she stepped on during the learning process: "The temperature of the musket when the glass is fired is between 400 degrees Celsius and 1200 degrees Celsius, and the beauty pupil is fitted to the eyeball, and the local high temperature will cause the beauty pupil to dehydrate the lens and damage the eyes, so the high temperature environment is not suitable for wearing the beauty pupil." ”
△ Glass butterfly ring
Zhang Yan demonstrated the process of making butterfly rings for reporters, she put on goggles, picked up a transparent glass rod to preheat it to a temperature that can be shaped, and then flipped it a few times with tweezers to shape it into the shape of half a butterfly wing. "First do the parts well, and then do the overall splicing." She also uses glass rods of different colors to dissolve colors. "This is more layered, it will look better" "The glass is very malleable, and there is no need to worry about yellowing, fading and other problems. Zhang Yan said. The same is true for the ring part, which is shaped according to the individual after firing. The whole production process takes about 30 minutes, and it is naturally cooled for 15 minutes after firing.
△ Glass rods of different colors
The reporter saw that on the workbench, glass rods of different colors were placed to make glass products of different colors, in addition, there were some other works of Zhang Yan, such as necklaces, small objects on the table, etc. "Light has no shape, but when light shines on glass products, it is refracted and emits a brilliant light." Zhang Yan said.
Most of the customers who come here are young couples, and they usually come to make it on anniversaries. "Most customers are making it for the first time, and they don't really care if it looks good or not, they enjoy the process of handicraft." Zhang Yan said. Customer Ms. Zhu said that after the glass is melted, it is like kneading plasticine, which is very fun, and turning the glass into a unique ornament is very novel and commemorative. "The handiwork is healing and ritualistic."
△Glass jewelry
On Women's Day, a young girl experienced making glass roses to give to her mother. "Glass roses don't wither, and I made them, and my mother must like it." She said that at first she was a little afraid of fire, but after becoming proficient in shaping glass into the shape she wanted, she felt a sense of accomplishment. "Every petal is different, and each petal is made by yourself."
"Speaking of which, glass firing is also a process that I came across by chance." Zhang Yan told reporters that her studio has been open for several years, focusing on handmade ceramic making experience, and later this kind of ceramic handicraft shop has become more and more in Nanjing, "I also have a certain amount of pressure." "Last year, while studying ceramics making in Jingdezhen, she stumbled upon the handmade art of glass firing." At that time, Jingdezhen already had this type of experience store, but Nanjing did not have it, so I wondered if I could bring it to Nanjing. In this way, Zhang Yan's handicraft studio added this novel experience. Today's young people like personalization, and we are also good at it. ”