The feather duster was an indispensable item for dusting in people's homes in the past. For more people in modern times, it is just a childhood memory. However, for the Chua family in Kinmen, it is the inheritance guarded by five generations.
A century-old inheritance of five generations.
Cai Zu was born in Hebei. Because of the drought for years, his family moved to Beijing and made a living by picking up garbage. At that time, Cai Xijiu, the founder of Cai's Gongshan, became famous in Beijing for his skill of tying a duster with one hand.
From ordinary people to princes and nobles, everyone should go to Cai's house to hire a good duster to sweep away the bad luck of one year and usher in the good luck of the new year. Because the Chua's duster was recognized by many noble ministers, it was recommended by the abbot of Huanggu Temple to make a royal tribute duster for the palace. At that time, a Gong duster was worth several hundred taels of silver.
Cai, the third generation descendant, moved his family to Tianjin because of the infighting among warlords who declined in the Qing Dynasty. At that time, warlord Cao Kun, Tianjin famous calligrapher Wu and famous opera artist Mr. Ma all customized dusters for Cai's family, and Cai's gong dusters took root in Wei, Tianjin.
Today, Cai is the fourth generation descendant of Cai's Gongshan.
At the age of 0/3, Cai/Kloc-began to learn the skills of making dusters with his father. /kloc-When he was 0/6 years old, he and his father ran a dust removal business at home. Later, in order to respond to the call of national construction, the Cai family went to work in factories one after another, and the gong-beating skills were abandoned. It was not until after retirement that Cai did not forget my late father's last wish of "you can not do it or learn it" and resumed the skill of binding dust, so that Cai's Gong Dust was reprinted. Today, Cai's tribute duster has been handed over to Cai's son and daughter Cai. In early 2007, Cai brought it back to Beijing and opened stores in Panjiayuan and North Third Ring Road.
A century-old craft? Jinmen stunt
A feather duster looks simple, but the process is complicated. Chua's tribute dusters are all hand-made and carefully bundled through 18 procedures. No matter how big the duster is, it must be done in one go.
I am also very particular about the materials used. Feathered chickens must be kept in slow depressions and mountainous areas. Hair should be beaten with live chickens to keep the blood flowing and the hair bright. The roots of the chicken's neck and the tops of its wings should be selected. Every duster needs thousands of chicken feathers to tie. The chicken feathers successfully tied are as full of aura as those on live chickens, so they are called "walking feather dusters".
Mao's duster has been thought to ward off evil spirits in towns and houses since ancient times. For example, a pair of bottles must be placed in the middle hall of a large family, and a good duster must be inserted in it, which means "Peace (bottle) Anji (chicken) is auspicious". When people marry a girl, they should also accompany two cleaners to give her courage and happiness. Each color of Cai's Palace Mountain also has different auspicious meanings: mountain, town house to ward off evil spirits and keep peace forever; Jade rabbit dust removal, disease elimination, health and longevity; The fire colt is dusty, and wealth is rolling in; Cai Fengshan, in all directions into the rich gourd slam; Silver phoenix dust, the day into a grand exhibition of fighting gold; Jin Fengshan, rich and luxurious, makes a fortune; The dragon and phoenix are auspicious, and the career is booming; Feng Danshan, all the best, prosperous business, meaning auspicious, even if it is an ornament, it is also a work of art