65-year-old Master Zhang is from Wanrong, Shanxi. Three generations of the family have been making handmade peach wood hanging ornaments. Master Zhang said that he learned to make handmade peach wood hanging ornaments from his father when he was in his 30s, and it has been nearly 30 years now. The picture shows Master Zhang and his wife Aunt Zhang making peach wood hangings and setting up a stall at the market.
Master Zhang said that making peach wood hangings is an old craft passed down from ancestors, and the process is very particular. The first step is to "select materials". You need peach wood that is more than 3 years old. It is hard, smooth and has good density. The pendant is durable. The next step is to "steam or boil". Put the collected hanging ornaments in a pot and steam them for about an hour to prevent the peach wood hanging ornaments from drying out. Then take out the "shade dry". Master Zhang said that it must be "dried in the shade" for at least half a year, otherwise the peach wood hangings will be deformed. The picture shows the peach wood pendant material after cooking and drying by Master Zhang.
The next step is " to create ". That is, use a knife to cut "blanks" of different thicknesses according to the different hanging ornaments to be made.
Then comes "shaping", which is the most critical step in making peach wood hangings. The right hand draws the bow, and the left hand holds the knife. The knife must be held evenly, otherwise the ornament will be out of shape.
The next step is "polishing", that is, using sandpaper of different thicknesses, first coarse and then fine, to polish to make the hanging ornaments smooth and bright.
Next is "waxing". Master Zhang said that industrial wax should not be used, but "beeswax" should be used. "Beeswax" has strong penetration, can protect accessories, and is harmless to the human body.
The last step is to drill holes and thread the rope. This process of threading the rope is completed by Aunt Zhang.
The picture shows Aunt Zhang carrying a worn piggy bank pendant.
The picture shows the "milling machine" used by Master Zhang to make peach wood hangings. Master Zhang joked that this was the earliest "milling machine" in China. Now some people call it "car sculpture".
asked how old this thing is. Master Zhang said that he couldn’t remember clearly. He only remembered that his grandfather used this thing to make peach wood hangings. It was just that when grandpa used it, the pull rod and the cones holding materials at both ends were all made of wood. Later, He changed to iron.
The picture shows the various knives used by Master Zhang to make handmade peach wood hangings.
The old man said that he made many kinds of peach wood hangings, including Guanyin bottles, various treasure gourds, money boxes, etc. Sometimes the supply exceeds the demand, and many of them are bought from home.
The picture shows a female customer choosing hanging ornaments in front of Master Zhang’s peach wood hanging ornaments stall. Master Zhang said that he and his wife usually go to the market to set up the stall, and the business is not bad. One episode costs 100 yuan, which is not good. Ranging from 50 yuan.
Master Zhang said that people’s traditional custom is to wear peach wood ornaments on their bodies, hang them in their cars, or on their children’s wrists during the year of their birth year.
The old man said that it is difficult to tell the authenticity of the ornaments sold on the market, but the peach wood ornaments made by himself are genuine. In addition, this is an old skill passed down from ancestors and I don’t want to lose it. Now it has been passed down to my son. My son is a teacher and has learned this skill. I often help him when he comes back on Sundays. Master Zhang was pleased to say that in 2017, his family’s old craft of making peach wood hangings had been selected as a county-level intangible cultural heritage.
