At the base of the old wall, the "shaver" was busy cutting the hair of customers, the "vendor" selling charcoal walked the streets and alleys with a flat pole, the "master" sharpening scissors and kitchen knives was working attentively, and the "boss" of the cloth stall was working hard to sell his own fabric ......What is surprising is that these "figures" are only three or four centimeters long, and they are also spliced with the shell of the monkey and the traditional Chinese medicine Xinyi, commonly known as "hairy monkeys".
Yang Fengyan's "hairy monkey" work "Jinan City Scene".
On January 4th, he walked into the "hairy monkey" studio of Yang Fengyan in Jinan. On the shelf, there is a box of cicadas and a large bag of Xinyi. On the workbench, white latex, 502 glue, scissors, tweezers, and toothpicks are all commonly used tools when making "hairy monkeys". Talking about the handicraft of "hairy monkey", Yang Fengyan gushed about it.
The craft of "hairy monkey" originated in the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty. One day, a man at a pharmacy in Beijing accidentally fiddled with cicada molt, Xinyi, Mutong, and Baiqi and found that he made the hairy Xinyi (magnolia bud) as his body, matched the head and limbs of the cicada, and used Mutong as a "straw hat", and finally glued it with Baiqi, like a lively little monkey, and named it "hairy monkey". Later, because of its interesting image, it spread among the people. "Nowadays, the production of 'hairy monkeys' is mainly made of cicada molt and xinyi, and baiji and mutong have been replaced by better binders and materials. Yang Fengyan introduced.
Yang Fengyan, 58 years old this year, is the third-generation inheritor of "Jinan hairy monkey", and has been researching and making "hairy monkeys" for more than 30 years. In January 2017, Yang Fengyan's "Jinan hairy monkey" was included in the list of municipal intangible cultural heritage. In 2018, Yang Fengyan was rated as a municipal intangible cultural heritage inheritor.
Yang Fengyan shows the certificate of intangible cultural heritage inheritor.
The production of "hairy monkeys" focuses on anthropomorphism, they have no expressions, and can only rely on body language to express their personality and emotions. How to give the hairy monkey joy, anger and sorrow can only rely on experimentation, speculation, and careful observation of life. "For example, if you want to show that the grass target you are carrying on your shoulders is heavy, you have to make the legs of this 'hairy monkey' bend more and lean back a little. If you have to work hard to pull the cart, you should be a "thin monkey" with a larger limb range. It is often necessary to carefully compare and select the appropriate materials among dozens or even hundreds of cicadas and xinyi, and then adjust different angles. It's not just a matter of sticking one. Yang Fengyan said.
Yang Fengyan's "hairy monkey" work.
Traditional hairy monkeys are known for their expertise in expressing folk life and the variety of the market, and it is also important to make and build suitable sets, linings, and props in order to make the work have feelings and scenes. "A good piece is a three-point hairy monkey and a seven-point prop. The hardest part was designing the set and making the props. Yang Fengyan gave an example while holding the work in his hand, "The 'hairy monkeys' themselves are small, and the objects assigned to them need to be more elaborate, and they often have to make props that are only a few millimeters. In addition, pay attention to the proportions and aesthetics between the 'hairy monkey' and the props. "In order to make a more suitable prop for the "hairy monkey", the strings made of white hair;Oral liquid lid made of barbells;On the bench made of ice cream sticks, Yang Fengyan does not let go of every small object in life. In order to better restore the scene, Yang Fengyan also combined miniature carving, calligraphy, stage art, face sculpture, paper-cutting and other skills with the "hairy monkey".
Intangible cultural heritage creation cannot be separated from life. The scenes I make are all based on observations of life. The work "Jinan City Map" is my memory of old Jinan as a child. The work "Open-Air Movie" is a restoration of the scene of watching movies when I was a child. Playing movies, shouting and selling popsicles, looking down at villain books, and hiding in the corners to fall in love with ......It's hilarious just to think about. The work "The Great Sage's Marriage" was made by me by checking books and reading information, imitating the old **. Yang Fengyan lifted the curtain of the sedan chair while introducing, showing the "monkey bride" covered with a red hijab in the sedan chair.
The work "Open-Air Cinema".
The work "The Great Sage Marries".
For this traditional craft, Lao She's wife Hu Jieqing once commented: "Half an inch of monkey is dedicated to Kyoto, and the custom of painting is vivid." The white depiction is subtle and innovative, and the two-flavor decoction pieces are better than the pearls. ”
Yang Fengyan often participates in the handmade exhibition of Shandong's intangible cultural heritage organized by the provincial and municipal culture and tourism bureaus, and his "hairy monkey" will become the focus of the audience every time. "I went to Quancheng Square and Baotu Spring to set up stalls and exhibitions before, which attracted many tourists from inside and outside the province. There was also a foreigner who had to pay 30 euros for my work, and I remember this very well. Yang Fengyan said proudly.
I now regularly give lectures to elementary school students. The children's imagination is rich, and the works they make are also good. I'm glad to see a new generation interested in this traditional craft. Yang Fengyan said with satisfaction, "In the future, I hope that more people will understand and love the 'hairy monkey', and are willing to settle down to learn to make the hairy monkey and pass on this craft." ”
Zhou Danyang, a popular newspaper and rural mass reporter