Ningxia intangible cultural heritage craftsmen: Ingenuity and inheritance of centuries-old fur making skills
Ding Yuecheng makes Ermao fur. Photo provided by the interviewee
It is winter and the temperature has dropped sharply. At this time, wearing a light and warm second-fur coat is a warm memory for many older generations of Ningxia people.
Ermao fur is a unique fur product in Ningxia, with a history of hundreds of years. Its raw material is the local specialty – Ningxia Tan sheep. Thousands of years ago, the sheep farming industry in Ningxia was quite developed. During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, Tan sheep’s two-hair fur was already famous. “Ningxia Fuzhi” records that “clothes are brown and winter sheep fur” is recorded. “Gansu Xingtong Zhi” even praised: “Ningxia’s fur is particularly good.” ”
Recently, a reporter from China News Network interviewed Ding Yuecheng, the national intangible cultural heritage inheritor of tan sheepskin tanning technology (second-fur fur production technology), and listened to his story about the inheritance of century-old fur production technology.
Ding Yuecheng is the fifth generation inheritor of Erfur fur making skills. When he was young, Ding Yuecheng learned the handcrafting of Erfur fur clothing from his elders. He quickly mastered the production skills, and the Erfur fur he produced was very popular in the local area.
Ding Yuecheng told a reporter from China News Service that he has strict requirements for the selection of raw materials for second-fur fur. “The sheepskin used to make second-fur skin must come from Tan sheep lambs that are just 20 to 40 days old and whose wool is 9-12 centimeters long.” Ding Yuecheng said that this is also the origin of the name of second-hair skin. “In the past, people called lamb skin ‘er. Mao’, later gradually became known as ‘Er Mao’.”
The production of second-fur fur requires multiple processes such as sheepskin classification, soaking, tanning, leather customization, and cutting. The hand-made cycle of a second-fur fur garment takes more than half a month. Ding Yuecheng said that a high-quality second-fur coat has soft tufts and is known as the “nine bends”. When lifted, the tufts droop, like undulating water, the luster is as white as snow, and the overall skin is as thin as thick. Paper has a tough texture, soft and even texture, and is known as “light fur”.
However, hand-making second-fur fur is time-consuming and labor-intensive. The fur products produced are prone to moisture, mildew, insect erosion, and have a strong odor, which restricts the development of this traditional industry and is no longer able to meet the needs of the market. need.
“The inheritance of traditional skills is not a simple copy, but an innovation.” For this reason, Ding Yuecheng began to try to improve the traditional process. He improved the original process of cooking sheepskin with yellow rice and salt nitrate, and used original enzyme powder to remove meat and skim fat. The resulting second-hair leather board was soft, white and bright, and had no odor. At the same time, Ding Yuecheng also added innovative elements to the production, enriching the styles, patterns, and colors of the second-fur clothing, making it more popular among young people.
With the advancement of technology, Erfur Fur has embarked on the road of mechanized large-scale production. Its products are exported to Norway, Sweden, Denmark, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and other countries, and are popular in overseas markets.
While embracing mechanized production, Ding Yuecheng did not give up the hand-made skills of Ermao Fur. “The hand-making of Er Mao Pi has been passed down for so many years, and I can’t let it go.” Ding Yuecheng believes that although the efficiency cannot be compared with mechanical production, the hand-making skills of Er Mao Pi still have its cultural value and connotation, and he does not want to let this go. The traditional craftsmanship was lost.
Now, Ding Yuecheng has taught this skill to his apprentices. After decades of development, the craftsmanship of making two-fur fur has been well inherited and carried forward, and this traditional handicraft skill dating back hundreds of years continues to be full of vitality.
AAA
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