"Natural Painting" loved by Miao girls: Let more people naturally like the Miao wax dye ｜ Shu Di Treasure

Cover reporter Liu Kexin

Many people know that the outermost yellow and white beeswax of the bee nest can get sweet honey. But few people know that the beeswax that is scraped off can also "draw" a beautiful pattern.

There are three major printing skills in my country: clamps, twisted, and waxy. Among them, "clamp" and "twisted" correspond to printing and dyeing skills. The remaining waxy pupa refers to the ancient, Miao wax dyeing techniques painted with beeswax. In 2009, the second batch of Sichuan Province's Intangible Cultural Heritage List was announced, and the Miao wax dye was among them. Under the influence of her parents, Yang Lei, a Miao girl, embarked on the road of inheriting the Miao ethnic wax dye under the influence of her parents.

Yang Lei (left)

Natural painting with beeswax as a pen

Ice lines are more mysterious and unique

The Miao ethnic wax dye is divided into eight steps: boiled wax, grinding cloth, painting wax, dyeing, dehydration, drift, drying, sewing. First, the yellow wax, that is, beesy wax, heat it in a wax furnace to melt, and then dip the yellow wax with a wax knife to outline the pattern. Yang Lei introduced that a special wax knife is a feature of the Miao wax dye. This wax knife is made of brass that can warm. "Because we use the melted yellow wax to draw samples on the cloth, we must keep a certain temperature in order to perform a long time of painting, so the wax knife pays attention to insulation." Yang Lei said. At the same time, the colorful cloth also requires: "We usually choose cotton cloth, cotton and linen or real silk. These materials are easy to color, and the effect of dyeing is better."

After the drawing is outlined, the cloth is immersed into the dye prepared in advance. The dye is made of board blue root leaves. After 2-3 days in the fermentation pool, you can get the blue liquid after 2-3 days in the fermentation pool. It can be made into a blue mud in about a week. Yellow wax is hydrophobic. This is the basis for the use of yellow waxes for the Miao wax dyeing. When the fabric is immersed in the dye, the blue dye will be attached to the fabric except the pattern, so that the fabric is dyed blue. If you like dark blue, you can achieve multiple dyeing and increased dyeing time. If you like light blue, you can dye less times and time.

After the dyeing steps are completed, the cloth is added with water and uses a high temperature to take dehydration and then drift. After drying the cloth, it can be used to sew clothes, fragrant bags and other items. "In the past, we were usually used as a pleated skirt for Miao family girls. It can still be used as home products, such as sheets and curtains. The use of Miao wax dye is still very wide." Yang Lei said.

Dry the work after dyeing and dewaxing

In the life of the Miao girl, the Miao wax dye is generally used to make clothing, such as the pleated skirt that the Miao girl loves to wear. The Miao pleated skirt is not only used for wearing, but also hung behind the house to drive disaster and avoid evil, eliminate diseases, and bless peace. Yang Lei said that the clothes made with wax dye generally wear the mountain festivals on the important holidays of the Miao people, as well as when they are married and welcome important guests. "This is an expression of festiveness, welcome, and respect." It is generally held from the first day of the first month to the seventh day. As far as the Miao family is concerned, this is the same as the Spring Festival. On the day of the festival, men and women who have friendship with each other will escort the incense bags on the same day as a fixing token. This kind of fragrant bag is hand -sewed and made of wax dyeing.

Among the products developed by Yang Lei's studio, the most popular is the sachet of the Zodiac series. "One characteristic of wax dyeing items is that every product will be unique because of the iced pattern that is different because of the cracking of the ice pattern." The ice pattern is one of the most attractive features of the Miao wax dye. When the yellow wax on the fabric gradually drys, it will produce cracks. After immersion the fabric into the dye, the dye will be drilled into the crack, leaving the color on the fabric to outline the crack. This is the ice pattern. "This is the uniqueness and mystery that everyone will like." Yang Lei defined ice lines like this.

The skills of wax dye are passed down from the Miao family, and there are thousands of years of history. Yang Lei said that his family moved from other places to Sichuan, brought together, and the technique of Miao wax dye. In the Miao family, almost every household will have objects made of Miao wax dye. Some families will also save waxed clothes as treasures. In Yang Lei's memory, the mother also has a pleated skirt dyed with wax. As a child, Yang Lei liked these skirts very much, and felt "rich in patterns and very beautiful." This also laid a small seed for her home to inherit this skill.

Make wax dye works

Like to transform into power is a slow process

"Make more people naturally like the Miaolian wax dye"

The process of like to transform into power is slow. Yang Lei began to contact the wax dye when her parents decided to return to development at the end of 2018. But until a study in Guizhou once, Yang Lei had the idea of ​​making himself. "Girls like beautiful things, I like it too. I see things that can be made with wax dyeing in Guizhou, and I am very interested and want to do it myself."

Study in Guizhou not only urged Yang Lei to make wax dye, but also broaden her vision. "The Miaolian wax dye in Guizhou is very famous, and it has developed more than ten years earlier than us. On there, I saw that wax dye can make things other than Miao clothes, such as handbags. It is also meaningful to be able to integrate what I like in and let everyone use the new products we develop. "Yang Lei's parents also hoped that her daughter would go out to find a job and practice. Yang Lei also reached a consensus with his parents until the end of 2020. "At that time, when I met a relatively large order at home, my parents couldn't be busy, so I asked me if I could come back to help, and I came back. A group of help, just to the present." Yang Lei recalled.

It is difficult to learn wax dye from scratch. In the process of learning, the steps to apply wax with wax with waxed knife are the most difficult step in Yang Lei. "If you do n’t have a good efforts, the wax is uneven, and the effect will be very poor. But if you make a relatively satisfactory work, such as a short sleeve, when you wear it on your body, you are still very proud." Yang Lei said when he remembered learning wax dyeing skills.

Wax dye pomegranate flower works

Wax dyed heart Lianhua works

Yang Lei's independent work, the first affirmed work, is a pomegranate wall hanging. The four patterns of pomegranate flowers, heart flowers, butterflies, and chickens are the most popular patterns in the Miao wax dye. "There are many styles of butterflies, which symbolize beautiful morals, such as sweet love, happy marriage, etc. Because of the seeds, pomegranate flowers mean the meaning of multiple children and grandson. These two are young women. Children are more popular, "Yang Lei said." Chicken is a mascot in our Miao people, which means auspiciousness and bravery, and it is also a symbol of disaster and evil. Streile. The main flower in the middle of our Miao people is the heart of the heart. "The styles and meaning of these patterns were sorted out by Yang Lei who visited the older Miao elderly people.

Wax dyeing chicken butterfly dance wall hanging

"After we do wax dye, we found that we still need to understand the culture of the nation in depth. But when visiting the elderly 70 to 80, I found that many elderly people no longer remember or do not know the meaning of this pattern. There is no way to know its name and meaning, so it is difficult to sort out. This is a bit regrettable. "From the end of last year to the present, Yang Lei and other partners still insist on this job.

Yang Lei was born in 1995. In her studio, there are several young people with her with her to learn Miao wax dye. "Most people who do wax dyes around me are between 40-60 years old. There are relatively few people over 60 years old, and there are fewer young people. Except for our Miao people, others may not know this thing. We now hope that there are more People see it. "Yang Lei then added that he and other partners hoped to expand the styles and types of Miao wax dyeing in the past two or three years to solve the problem of marketing.

"Recently there is a very hot TV series called" Cang Lan Jue ", which is made of non -heritage art. I think this is a good example of cross -banking. Cooperation and innovation with film and television works, "Yang Lei said." I think more people still like to like the Miao wax dye naturally, just like I like the Miao wax dye. "

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