【Written on the front】
Tiger, king. In the Year of the Tiger, the Tiger tiger is angry.
In the past year, although it was not easy for us to live under the epidemic, we were still riveted and continued to run on the road.
We found four non-heritage or characteristic objects related to tigers in Zhejiang Province- tiger head shoes, tiger paper-cutting, Tiger Year Zodiac Feast, jackal paintings, and greeted the coming spring with the living dragons, dragons, tigers, and tigers contained in them.
Qianjiang Evening News Hourly News Reporter Tang Xufeng Text/Photo
This year is the Year of the Tiger in the lunar calendar, and there is a custom of wearing tiger head shoes in mainland folklore. On the first birthday or birthday of the little boy, the elders put on the tiger head shoes for the child, which means the tiger's head and tiger's brain. As a mascot, the tiger is also the king of the hundred beasts, which can protect the child's healthy and safe growth and be a bold man.
Tiger toe shoes are found throughout the country, and their craftsmanship has been listed as an intangible cultural heritage. On the eve of the Spring Festival, the hourly news reporter of Qianjiang Evening News came to the Zongpuqiao Community of Zhaobaoshan Street in Zhenhai District, Ningbo, and visited the head of the community Qiaoniang Studio, the 71-year-old Aunt Jin Shanzhen. Aunt Jin is also the representative inheritor of Ningbo Intangible Cultural Heritage (Tiger Head Shoes).
1] More than 40 pairs of various tiger head shoes, suddenly feel the taste of the year
Aunt Jojin's interview is not easy, years ago her schedule was full - on the 18th, in the Zhaobaoshan Street People's Literature and Art Villa, Aunt Jin and several other traditional craftsmen taught and shared Chinese New Year culture to a group of foreign friends: writing Spring League, embroidering tiger head shoes, making rubbings, printing gold troupes; on the morning of the 19th, filming and making tiger head shoes for the New Year, going to the town electricity community to teach handicrafts in the afternoon... She was also invited to participate in anti-fraud propaganda.
On the day of the interview, Aunt Jin was dressed brightly red and stood at the door of the community waiting for me. The 71-year-old aunt has a bright face and looks happy and full.
In the Qiao Niang studio in the community neighborhood center, more than 40 pairs of various tiger head shoes are displayed, as well as Chinese knots, sachets, beads, etc., as well as some unique fabric stickers, showing themes such as the spirit of Chinese aerospace and the great spirit of fighting the epidemic.
Among these exquisitely crafted and exquisite works, the most complex craftsmanship and the most collectible and ornamental are the tiger head shoes and the sachets and Chinese knot pendants created in the image of the tiger. A room full of cute tiger crafts, which makes people linger and feel the atmosphere of the New Year.
Although the mini tiger head shoes in the display case are only the size of a thumb, a dozen crafts can not be less. Drawing, cutting, pasting, pressing, drying, trimming, sewing... The tiger's head alone requires a variety of stitches, but also through different thickness of the line outline, in order to vividly show the tiger's might.
Two pairs of high-top tiger-topped cotton shoes made during last year's National Day are also Aunt Jin's proud works. "You see, the buttons of the shoes are different, one is a lute knot, and the other is an auspicious knot." Aunt Jin said that the production process of this kind of pan button is also an intangible cultural heritage project.
"My tiger head shoes here are usually red and yellow." Aunt Jin took out two pairs of tiger head shoes to compare with the reporter, "This pair of tiger head shoes is even bottom, more rugged, northerners prefer; this pair is the upper sole, the sole and upper should be connected, the process is more, but it looks more delicate, in line with our Jiangnan people's preferences." You see, even the beard is different. ”
It takes two to three days to make a pair of tiger head shoes, and the time to make a tiger head sachet and tiger pendant is almost half a day. These sachets and pendants are more popular with the public, and the incense inside are all anti-epidemic spices, which are not only beneficial to health, but also have a good aroma.
In order to celebrate the upcoming Year of the Tiger, Aunt Jin also specially made the work of the Five Tigers (Fu) Linmen, the five cloth tigers have different shapes and lifelike, the eyes, nose, beard are different, and even the "Wang" character embroidered on the forehead is also different. Aunt Jin said that this work was placed at the entrance of the studio, and congratulated everyone on the auspicious Year of the Tiger.
2] From an early age, he was skillful, knitting socks and making dolls, and also making fake collars from discarded fabrics
Although Aunt Jin Shanzhen's tiger head shoes making process is not a family heirloom, she was influenced by her family when she was a child and especially liked to make fabrics.
"My mom and sister are very good at making clothes, sweaters are very well knitted, and I like to make small things." Aunt Jin recalled that when she was in elementary school, she could knit socks with both hands hidden under the table while listening to lectures, and jump up and down with four needles, moving quickly, but there would be no mistakes.
A little girl not only weaves socks and makes dolls such as frogs and goldfish out of nylon silk, but also makes fake collars that were popular in that era from discarded fabrics. After a year of junior high school, Jin Shanzhen became a young man in the countryside and later worked in a local department store.
After retiring, Aunt Jin picked up her childhood hobbies again, and she has been committed to the teaching and promotion of various female celebrities in the community. In 2007, she began to focus on the production, teaching inheritance and innovative skills of tiger head shoes, and her works have been displayed in the exhibition of intangible cultural heritage works at all levels in provinces and municipalities.
Not only does she take apprentices in the studio, but she also gives lectures every week to nursing homes, village (community) elderly activity centers, and primary and secondary schools. "Some places are far away, like going to Jiulonghu Town for a lecture, and it takes two and a half hours to take the bus back and forth." Aunt Kim said.
The hundreds of pairs of tiger head shoes made by Aunt Jin are mainly displayed and displayed, and a small number of them are also used for public welfare sales and gifts. "I will also go to Gulou Square to set up a stall, and the money sold will be donated to the elderly in need of help in the community."
3] Hour news reporter learns to embroider tiger head shoes, and after a while the arm is sore
As a rugged man, the hourly reporter of Qianjiang Evening News also embroidered tiger head shoes with Aunt Jin.
The materials used to make tiger shoes include needle and thread, cloth, and various beads. The fabrics are all cotton, satin and diagonal strips.
The production process mainly includes wearing clothes, painting tiger faces, embroidering tiger faces, tying beards, covering the mouth of the shoes, and putting on the uppers.
The so-called gown is to paste the sole and upper four times and three times respectively to make it thicker. Each of the next steps is important, but it is clear that embroidering the tiger's face is a key part of the tiger's demeanor. The hourly news reporter also learned to embroider a handful, embroidering the eyes of the tiger, and the aunt taught the reporter to embroider obliquely, "to follow a needle with a needle." After embroidering the eyes, there are beards, mouths, noses, and "kings" on the forehead, and the size and color of the threads are different. In addition, the tiger's eyeballs are nailed with small round beads, and finally they have to be closed. After a while of busy work, the arm is sore, and it can be seen that the female red work is also physically demanding, and patience is needed.
"The more beautiful it looks, the harder it is to do it, and the longer it takes." Aunt Jin said she often buys tiger shoes from the Internet and improves and innovates according to her own ideas. "Sometimes I sleep in bed at night and suddenly think of a point and I'm excited." Auntie said that she has so many tiger craft works, each does not repeat, when doing whatever you want, how to look good and how to change, this is also the charm of pure handwork.
At present, Aunt Jin and her wife are happily staying at home for the New Year, and her wife buys vegetables and cooks, while she is bent on doing handicrafts. Daughters and sons-in-law and granddaughters are also filial piety. The plan of the year lies in the spring, Aunt Jin and all the traditional craftsmen, through their skillful hands to present the year of the tiger mascot, make the Spring Festival more traditional and profound, but also a better vision of the future.
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