She folk craft culture

She folk crafts are the rich and colorful folk art of the She people. They are the crystallization of the wisdom of the She people for thousands of years. They are the carrier of the inheritance of She culture and a reflection of the She spirit. The She folk crafts are extensive and far-reaching. They are simple, lively and vivid, and passed down from generation to generation. In modern times, many forms of the She folk arts and crafts no longer exist, but other forms that still remain, such as spinning and weaving, flower belt weaving, sewing and embroidery, bamboo and straw weaving, and paper carving, have also undergone certain changes. In addition, among the She people, there are also some ancient forms of craft decoration, such as woodcarving, metal jewelry, etc.

Spinning and weaving technology In the past, due to the lack of living materials, most She villages had linen and spinning technology, using spinning soil cloth to supplement the shortage of fabric supply. Most of the soil cloth worn by the She people (including soil silk cloth, soil cotton cloth, ramie cloth, etc.) is woven using their own soil looms. Local looms can not only weave local cloth for the lives of the She people, but also weave daily textiles such as local cloth belts and aprons.

After the 1970s, with the development of social productivity, no She people used hand-spinning machines to spin, and no one wore self-spinning soil. However, the process of weaving cloth made from earthen is still passed down in a few villages. The cloth woven at present is made of machine-made white, blue and black cotton threads as raw materials. The cloth woven is mainly made of earthen quilt, commonly known as "home quilt". The cloth is thick and wear-resistant, simple and generous.

Flower

weaving craft Flower belt weaving craft was once a commonly owned craft by She women. However, with the gradual opening of the living environment of the She people and the influence of the Han people's concept of life, the number of folk artists who are good at weaving flower belts has gradually decreased, and the handmade weaving craft is no longer a commonly owned craft by She women. Hand-made webbing tools are simple and are generally made with a simple "webbing frame", or can be completed with a simple self-made device. When using webbing, one end can be fixed in any fixed place inside and outside the house.

In the past, the She people often used their own silk threads in ribbons, such as native silk, native cotton yarn, etc. Nowadays, the silk threads used in ribbons mostly use machine-made silk threads of various colors, and there is no need to spin and dye themselves. In the past, the She people were busy with work, and they often chose the slack season for weaving ribbons, but today's people are no longer limited by the season. At present, only a few She villagers in She villages are good at weaving flower belts. Some of the flower belts they weave are kept for their own use (for aprons or satchels), and some are sold as a special craft or given to friends as souvenirs.

Bamboo weaving craft Bamboo weaving craft is common in the She and Han countryside because of its great practical value. The She ethnic area is rich in bamboo such as carnation, mottled bamboo, golden bamboo, and Lei Gong bamboo, providing rich raw materials for the production of bamboo weaving handicrafts. Exquisite bamboo weaving handicrafts require dozens of processes from breaking bamboo materials to dyeing and painting. In addition to screens, hanging couplets, pillows, mats, chairs, etc. used in daily life, there are also many baskets, baskets, etc. with vivid shapes, exquisite beauty, and bright colors. It is like a goose shaped basket, with a goose as the container, a curved neck that looks back as the lifting beam, and a milky white primary color bamboo strip as the feathers. It is lifelike, beautiful and practical.

The most representative one is the compilation of bamboo hats, which is an important part of She culture. It has a long history, exquisite, and beautiful appearance. The bamboo hats made by the She people are all pointed, which can protect against sun and rain and can be used as fans. They are one of the common tools for the She people's field work. It was also one of the most commonly used rain gear on rainy days in rural areas in the past. Children went to school and most of them used it instead of umbrellas when visiting neighbors. It was affordable. The flower bamboo hat was once one of the must-have dowries for Yunhe She girls to marry. The bamboo hat was woven with indocalamus leaves and came in three shapes: "tiger teeth","Dou cloud" and "tongue". It is a unique cultural totem of the She people, implying hard work and beauty, and expresses the most ardent blessings to the girl who is about to marry.

The weaving of bamboo hats is very particular. It is different from ordinary weaving techniques and is extremely strict from the beginning of material selection. After the material selection is completed, there are also bamboo cutting, strips cutting, topping, making blanks, and clamping materials... There are nearly 40 processes, each process has strict operating requirements, and there is no room for slacking off at all. It takes 6 to 7 days to make a complete flower bamboo hat and requires a lot of energy.

Dyeing is also an important part of weaving flower bamboo hats. The colored silk threads on the bamboo hats are made by the She people according to the pattern color they need to weave, dyeing and drying the bamboo strips one by one, and then weaving them into the bamboo hats one by one, and matching them with the primary colors. The silk threads are matched with each other to create a flower bamboo hat with a strong She color.

The diameter of a flower bamboo hat is about 40 centimeters. It is made up of two layers of bamboo strips, upper and lower, with the unique Indocalamus leaves sandwiched in the middle. The bamboo strips are as delicate as hair, uniform in thickness and diverse in colors. There are 220 to 240 bamboo strips alone, and its skills are so complex that it is not a one-day work.

Various different patterns such as bamboo hat swallow, top four-grid, three-story house, cloud head, swallow mouth, etc. can be woven on the bamboo hat. It is extremely exquisite, and the weaving method for each pattern is different. Such complex handicrafts are not easy for the Yunhe She people who have been familiar with weaving since childhood.

In addition to weaving many traditional She patterns during the production process, the flower bamboo hat of the She ethnic group is also decorated with various colorful bead strings and red, yellow and other colored silk ribbons to decorate the bamboo hat to make it elegant and noble. The entire bamboo hat is woven with colorful and nine-layered thin strips, which is more exquisite and full of national style, and eye-catching and gorgeous.

During the process of weaving the flower bamboo hat, the She people will also use the unique tung oil leak-proof technology of She Village to add it to the weaving process. The final woven bamboo hat is exquisite, light, and watertight. It can be called a unique one among the She people's weaving techniques.

In the past, the flower bamboo hat was a shade tool used by She women when they went out to work, went to markets, or visited relatives and friends. Later, with the evolution of the times, it became more and more exquisite, with exquisite design, exquisite skills, and beautiful appearance. It gradually became a She girl. One of the dowry products.

The elderly people of the She nationality often recall scenes when they were married. At that time, the She family girls, wearing exquisite and dazzling flower bamboo hats and a Phoenix costume with the characteristics of the She nationality, were graceful and graceful. In the festive and lively hustle, marrying the person they loved. This may be the most beautiful thing in their memory at that time!

The weaving skills of the She people's flower bamboo hats are one of their most gorgeous cultures and a treasure of traditional China folk crafts. In the long migration history of the She people, they insist on inheriting their own national characteristics and carrying them forward, allowing the world to appreciate its mysterious charm.

Woodcut craftsmanship Among the She people, a certain number of woodcut craftsmanship decorations are still scattered, mostly used to decorate wooden furniture (such as tables, chairs, beds, etc.), and a small amount remains in wooden buildings. This skill has been lost among the people, leaving only some exquisite ornaments scattered in the countryside. At present, many folk literature and art organizations or individuals are collecting in various forms.

These She folk crafts are being squeezed to the edge of mainstream culture or even disappeared with the development of modern technology and modern culture. She folk crafts are representatives of She culture and rich folk art in my country's traditional culture.