The artisan polishes the colorful dough figurine with a bamboo chip.

 

The knowledge of making a specific handicraft is basically confined to that industry, and the core skills are typically only understood by a small number of people.

The traditional ways in which those skills are passed down—oral instruction from masters and experience—guarantee the masters’ position and that their skills are passed down. Old masters’ skills are revered as the correct way of creating these handicrafts, and the unique tools, techniques and designs cannot easily be changed by later generations.

While artisans should pass their skills on to the next generations, it is also necessary to protect and respect the achievements of masters. With the rapid development of modern society, many skills are being lost. These are some examples of key artisan skills of the ages.

1. Dough figurines
Dough figurines, also called dough models, are the products of a simple but highly artistic folk craft of the Han ethnic group. Chinese dough figurines have been recorded in documents as early as the Han Dynasty. Dough figurines are made of wheat flour or glutinous rice flour. Artisans knead the dough into a rough figure and hold a small bamboo chip to polish the figurine’s eyes, ears, nose and other details with great care.

2.  Sugar sculptures  
Sugar sculptures are commonly known as blown sugar items or sugar figurines. These sugar sculptures are made of maltose. First, the sugar sculptors heat the maltose to melt the sugar, and then the sugar can be easily shaped. To do this, the sculptors blow, pull, rub and press the sugar to make it into beautiful shapes of animals or figures.

3. Wheat straw weaving
In China, the skills of wheat straw weaving have existed for more than 2,000 years. Ancient Chinese learned how to weave wheat straw into hats, fans, handbags, baskets and utensils, which became the symbols of early civilization in China and showcase the Han people’s talent and artistic creativity.

4.  Brick carving
Brick carving is an ancient skill in China. Traditional Chinese carved architecture and gray brick carving crafts are included on the national intangible cultural heritage list. Brick carving includes wadang, eave tiles, which were first produced in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, and Han Dynasty portrait bricks. Carved patterns that depict landscapes, flowers and figures are inscribed on gray bricks used to decorate temples and houses.

Brick carving is an artistic skill. Drills, planes and saws are the paintbrushes carvers use to create vibrant designs on bricks.