Chinanews.com, Taiyuan, August 16th, title: Shanxi "child hat fans" have collected more than 4,000 Jin-style children hats from the Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China in 20 years
Author Yang Peipei
55-year-old Tong Fucun, a native of Taiyuan, Shanxi, has collected more than 4,000 Jin-style children's hats from the Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China in 20 years. Facing many experts and scholars studying Chinese culture at home and abroad who proposed high-priced acquisitions, Tong Fucun insisted on a bottom line: "We must keep the traditional Chinese folk culture."
Tiger head hat, golden toad hat, dragon and phoenix hat... "Childhood Memory · Hats are as Beautiful as Flowers-Shanxi Regional Featured Ancient Embroidered Children's Hat Exhibition" was held on the 16th at Shanxi Art Museum. A total of 100 Jin-style children's hats from Tong Fucun's collection were exhibited this time. The original 10-day exhibition was postponed for two months due to the large number of visitors.
"In the eyes of many people, these children's hats are only used to protect children from the wind. But in my opinion, each hat is unique, embroidered with beautiful meaning and emotional sustenance in every stitch. At the same time, Jin style children The caps also show the traditional culture of Jin embroidery.” Tong Fucun pointed to the child caps on display with emotion.
During the 20 years of Tong Fucun, he collected more than 4,000 Jin-style children's hats from the Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China. Tong Fucun photo
Tong Fucun has been obsessed with collecting since he was a child. Cigarette cases, coins, stamps, etc. are his "babies". When he grew up, he worked as a motorcycle racer and a boxing coach. He often traveled all over the world and did not forget to collect old objects outside of work. Up to now, Tong Fucun has collected more than 20,000 pieces, of which the most is the Jin-style children's hats.
The bond with "children's hat" benefited from an accidental opportunity more than 20 years ago. When Tong Fu was collecting other old objects, he saw a child hat and was attracted by its exquisite embroidery and unique shape, so he paid for it. Knowing the story behind the beanie, Tong Fucun is even more precious.
Since then, Tong Fucun has become "fascinated" by the collection of beanies. "Every child's hat has a story." Tong Fucun treasures the children's hats in his collection, carefully inspecting each child's hat, inlaid with gold and jade, embroidering various patterns that represent beautiful meanings, and entrusting his wishes to his children .
Among them, there is a golden toad hat, which Tong Fucun calls "an orphan in art". This child hat is sewn in the shape of a golden toad, and small beads of various colors are stitched into a money pattern, and the square is modeled on the back of a golden toad. These colored beads are stitched by embroidery needles, and it is difficult to see such thin embroidery needles.
"Childhood Memories · Hats Are Beautiful as Flowers-Shanxi Regional Featured Ancient Embroidered Children's Hat Exhibition" was held at Shanxi Art Museum on the 16th. Photo by Yang Peipei
"It has been verified that this golden toad hat was sewn at the end of the Qing Dynasty. Although it has been nearly a hundred years ago, none of its stitched colored beads have fallen off. There are also two silver lions stitched under the mouth. , House swallows, flying cicadas, etc., are very delicate." Tong Fucun kept holding the beanie and exclaimed. Whether it is stitching, embroidery patterns or casting, they all reflect the charm of traditional handicrafts.
In recent years, the Jin-style child hats collected by Tong Fucun have attracted many experts and scholars studying Chinese culture at home and abroad. In the meantime, several Japanese professors came to visit in admiration. When they saw the beanie, they fell in love with it and proposed a high-priced purchase, which was rejected by Tong Fucun.
"I spent all my savings only for "collecting". No matter what my life is, I never thought of selling my own collections." Tong Fucun said frankly that "collecting" is his spiritual pillar and source of happiness.
In the process of collecting children's hats, Tong Fucun discovered that the craftsmanship of folk embroidery children's hats was on the verge of being lost. "I hope that the collection of Jin-style children's hats can go out of Shanxi and go to the world, so that more people can see and make some contributions to the inheritance of Chinese folk traditional culture and the protection of Chinese traditional handicrafts." (End)