Cloth Tiger Art Handed Down To The Three Generation Linyi Lao Tai Yantai To Do "Tiger"

Cloth tiger is an ancient popular toy in Chinese folk. It is a folk handicraft with great local flavor.

Niu Qingmei, 64 years old, came from Yishui County of Linyi. When she mentioned that Yantai was selling the tiger, the old lady was delighted to speak of the experience of holding a tiger to catch the temple fair.

"It never occurred to me that this thing could sell money. For the first time, the temple fair was sold out with the stuff that we had done."

At the beginning of this year, Wang Jing, a daughter in Yantai who bought and sold paintings and accessories, telephoned her hometown in Linyi, hoping that the old man could come to Yantai for a few days to join in the festival.

Before he left for Yantai, the old man pondered and made some of the cloth tigers he made to his 6 year old granddaughter.

In this way, the old man came to Yantai with her tiger.

On the ninth day of the ninth day, when she was preparing to go out to catch up with the temple fair, her daughter and the old man discussed the tiger together, and wondered how many people could sell the temple fair.

What did not happen to the old man was that ten points were enough to set up a stall in an obscure corner outside the east gate of Yuhuangding park. Less than twelve, a dozen or so tigers were bought away.

The old man saw that his handicraft was so popular that he returned to his hometown in Linyi in the first eleven months, and made 10 "biggest tigers" in three days.

In February 13th, the old man came to Yantai happily from Linyi. This time, she brought along dozens of big and small tigers, which she made by herself, and began a small business.

This time, the old man came to Yantai for less than four days, and sold nearly 30 large and small cloth tigers.

"I never thought this would make money.

I never thought my craft would be so popular in Yantai.

The old man sighed repeatedly.

Nowadays, the old man's skill of "tiger" has become a rarity, playing with tigers with stitches.

The old man recalled the "tiger shoes" that he had passed through when he was a child.

"Since I remember things, I wear the tiger shoes" made by the elderly at home and look at the old man's work.

When children were young, tiger shoes became the foundation for the elderly to do "tigers" in the future.

When he was just 7 or 8 years old, Niu Qingmei picked up the needle and thread and followed his mother to learn sewing.

At that time, because the family was poor and could not afford to learn, when the other children went to school, Niu Qingmei watched her mother sewing needles to make "tiger shoes", "tiger cap", "purse" and small pendants. It would help the mother "poke" two needles.

Time flies, and gradually Niu Qingmei finds that his craft of making shoes is ripe.

However, after her skillful craftsmanship, she felt that "tiger shoes" and "tiger heads" were only children's clothing. With the growth of their age, the older children wore a "tiger shoe".

So Niu Qingmei thought about "cloth tiger".

At the age of 21, Niu Qingmei officially started the work of "cloth tiger".

"At that time," tiger "did not expect that it was still a handicraft, and it was very interesting.

However, when he started to be a tiger, Niu Qingmei encountered some difficulties.

"You can waste a lot of cloth when you start doing this."

Since never cut the tiger's cloth, it often cuts and starts at the beginning and wastes material. Niu Qingmei first cuts it in a rotten clothes. After the size and size, the shape of eyebrows and the length of his tail are fixed, he cuts the cloth on the top of the cloth.

After waiting for the provincial cloth to think about it, adding tiger stripes to the tiger became a difficult problem for her to scratch her head.

"At that time, they used all kinds of homespun cloth, and they had to add color to the tiger themselves.

I don't know how to draw a picture. I don't know what kind of pattern it is on the tiger. I can only paint with a little bit of image from the TV. I don't care if it's not nice after painting.

At that time, a strong Niu Qingmei would often shake his head to his work.

So Niu Qingmei looked everywhere to see where there was a suitable cloth to make a tiger.

In 1998, when Niu Qingmei heard that there were "tiger stripes" cloth in Shanghai, he hurriedly sent some "tiger cloth" home to his fellow countrymen.

Gradually, the old ox became famous as a tiger, and her "cloth tiger" became a close friend of the distant folks.

Niu Qingmei is proud to tell the reporter: "now, if anyone has a child, he will come to me to be a tiger."

Niu Qingmei's "tiger" is not only favored by the villagers but also a "robbed tiger" by foreigners.

At the beginning of 2007, eight Niu Mei Mei took 4 "cloth tigers" to see his niece in Beijing. In this unfamiliar place, the old man made a tiger trade with the "foreigners".

Niu Qingmei still remembered, "the second day in Beijing, the weather was very good, and my niece took me to Tiananmen to take photos..."

That day, the old man took the cloth tiger and went to Tiananmen with his niece.

"We were just about to take a picture of the tiger. Three foreigners came up to us and dropped 100 yuan on the back of a tiger.

I didn't respond, and the tiger was picked up by him.

Niu Qingmei, who did not know English at all, understood with the help of his niece, that the three "foreigners" were attracted by their own "tiger".

Three people advised the old man to sell the tiger and go home to do it again, but the stubborn old man insisted on telling them, "tiger is for the niece, not for sale."

Although the old man persisted in refusing to sell the goods, the three foreigners kept pestering her repeatedly to explain that they liked the Chinese cultural handicrafts.

Finally, Niu Qingmei only kept a "tiger", and the other 3 sold to several foreigners.

"All 4 of them want it, and I have to leave my niece with anything.

Up to now, the only thing left is on the table of niece unit.

Beijing's first line has made it known to the old people that doing "cloth tiger" is a good business, and the elderly pay more attention to the improvement of tiger image.

Nowadays, Niu Qingmei's "tiger" is loved by many people, and her "tiger" is becoming more and more particular.

From the 20 centimeter "tigers" to the 60 centimeter "big tiger", from the tiger's ears to the tail and then to the core, the old man and his family had a lot of brains.

"Different sizes of" tiger "are different in size, so they need to be reconsidered, and the bigger the harder it is.

Because the eyes are not very easy to use, every time the old tiger is improved, the old man will cut up some cloth, and then she will lay down her work and go outside to turn around and wonder where it has gone wrong. When she wants to understand it, she will go home and pick up her sewing thread again.

Once, "tiger head" was cut, and Niu Qingmei, a stubborn, turned around in the garden for an hour.

Now, from ear cutting to core filling, the old man has worked out his own unique method.

"Every year in autumn, the seeds of Vitex negundo can be used for one year, and the core of" tiger pillow "can be used to shock and dispel evil.

Tigers added with wood chips are stronger than those added with other materials.

When you add the core, you must crush the Vitex and add it from the leg. "

If someone asks to be a tiger, the old man will be eager to explain the skill of "tigers".

The four children of the old man have learned her skills now. The old man said, "my mother is handy, and the tiger shoes are very good.

I like to be a tiger. Only now did I realize that the tiger was originally a door craftsmanship.

My four children also make tigers, but they are too busy to do this.

Now, when I am working in my daughter's home, my little granddaughter will also learn from me with sewing thread.

I wish they could continue. "

During the conversation, the three daughters of the old man told the old man that they would do "tigers" in the future, and that their daughters would learn to do "tigers" and pass on their skills.

At the end of the conversation, the old man gave up his longstanding wish: "my tiger" is always the same, and has always wanted them to add some modern color, but it can not be designed.

I really hope that more people will come up with ideas so that "cloth tiger" will be more Chinese flavour.