Studying or collecting ritual artifacts is one of the main ways we can learn about a culture and civilization. In this sense, the value of classical Chinese incense burners is hard to underestimate.
In the field of restoration, inheritance and creation of incense burner making techniques, Chen Qiaosheng is an iconic figure. Designed and produced by this master craftsman from Jiangsu, the "Qiaosheng Furnace" is not only frequently exhibited at major exhibitions such as the World Expo, but also a must-have product for a group of collectors.
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History and civilization coexist, and civilization begins with rituals. Etiquette regulates the relationship between man and man, man and nature, and man's place in a philosophical or religious system. What fixes the etiquette is a set of rituals.
As a result, different civilizations have given birth to different ritual vessels.
In classical Chinese etiquette, incense burning is an important part, it conveys emotions and wishes, expresses solemnity and piety, and the incense burner, the instrument used for burning incense, is also an indispensable important ritual in religious sacrifices and literati study.
The incense burner is not only a derivative of the Ding culture, but also an important carrier of the incense culture, which gradually integrated more secular uses over the years, thus developing more shapes and production techniques, and finally gathered in the Xuande period of the Ming Dynasty - the court incense burner made during this period is called the Xuande furnace, which is the peak of ancient Chinese copper incense burner design and production techniques, and has also been cherished by generations of collectors for hundreds of years. With the continuous imitation of craftsmen in later generations, the Xuande furnace has gradually evolved from a cultural relic of a specific era to a synonym for high-grade copper incense burners.
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Like many traditional crafts, the copper incense burner made with the Xuande furnace as the symbol is gradually disappearing. In the 70s of the last century, by chance, Chen Qiaosheng began to research and try to restore the Xuande furnace. Although he was born into a family of coppersmiths and had mastered the craft of coppersmithing from an early age, he was almost helpless in making classical copper incense burners – there were few ready-made techniques and materials to draw on.
After arduous investigation and repeated trial and error, he finally made the first copper incense burner, and gradually mastered the "lost wax method" firing and casting process used in the production of ancient Xuande furnaces. In the following decades, he continued to improve in modeling design, copper smelting technology, material formulation, leather shell making, etc., and gradually grew into a skilled copper furnace craftsman, and his handmade Qiaosheng furnace won many awards, not only frequently appeared in major exhibitions, but also widely sought after by collectors.
In 2011, with his outstanding contributions and outstanding skills in this field, Chen Qiaosheng was awarded the title of "Inheritor of Ancient Copper Furnace Making Skills of China's Intangible Cultural Heritage", and in 2013, he was awarded the title of "Master of Chinese Traditional Crafts", and was selected as "2023 Forbes China Top 100 Outstanding Craftsmen" last year.
On the basis of inheriting and restoring traditional skills and aesthetics, Chen Qiaosheng also has unique insights into the expansion and extension of artistic application scenarios and lifestyles of incense burners in the context of the current era. In the process of dialogue with Chen Qiaosheng, we were also inspired by the fact that behind any inheritance and innovation, there is an in-depth analysis, reorganization and iterative application of culture, so that it can be used for people's better life.
Chen Qiaosheng (right) instructs the trainees
Forbes China: You have a good reputation in the field of copper furnace arts and crafts, created a large number of excellent works, and also inherited and innovated a lot of craft techniques. What factors are responsible for achieving this result, and what are the keys to your success?
Chen Qiaosheng: This is an interesting question, and I can talk about my experience when I was a child. Since I was a child, I have loved to look at beautiful things, from the Suzhou garden to the Taihu Lake stones, words, and ornaments in the garden...... It's almost an obsessive love. That aesthetic is my creation, and it laid the foundation for furnace culture. The second factor is my family, our family itself is a family of copper artists, since my grandfather we have been engaged in bronze making, so I think it is a responsibility to inherit traditional culture. In those days, that responsibility made me who I am today.
Forbes China: What are the current application scenarios of copper furnace crafts, and what are their artistic and commercial value?
Chen Qiaosheng: This question is so important, because people lack understanding of the development and inheritance of traditional culture, and they are also very confused. For us in the field of art, we pay more attention to the emotional value of (art). For example, in a space, without some kind of art (work) to set off and merge, it will feel empty. If there are works of art in the space, they will interact with you. It's a scene and a way of life, so I think the development of furnace culture is too important. I believe that furnace culture will inevitably become a mainstream culture in the future.
Forbes China: Please talk about your inheritance and innovation in the field of bronze making based on your personal growth experience.
Chen Qiaosheng: This is a bitter history for me, and I feel very tired and tired when I look back on it now. Why, I am the first generation of the development of the copper furnace field, and dozens of processes have to be developed by me alone, all of which are groped little by little in the failure of one failure. Because I don't have predecessors (to learn from and learn), I don't have a master in this field. Our family used to make some civilian bronze utensils, and the copper furnace culture has been passed down from the court literati since the Ming Dynasty, and its requirements and height are beyond your imagination. But it's a mission, a responsibility, and a challenge for me.
Forbes China: How do you understand the spirit of craftsmanship that is being strongly advocated today, and how will it develop in the future?
Chen Qiaosheng: No matter how you answer this question, it is empty, and I think the so-called craftsman spirit needs to be understood over a lifetime. Because I am now nearly 70 years old, I am still exploring furnace culture. When it comes to development, that is, on the basis of our own field, we must develop more works, continue to innovate, and then cut into our own culture, and complete one thing in a lifetime.
Disclaimer: Brand Voice related information comes from interviewees, not Forbes editorial content.