The Transmission And Exchange Of Ancient Artisanal Techniques

The results of acoustical studies of ancient theatres in recent years show that there was technical exchange between ancient craftsmen.From the similarity of the music register system,ancient artisan management institutions and important technical texts,it is clear that there was a technical heritage and accumulation of ancient artisans.At present,studies on ancient artisanal techniques are mainly based on architectural texts and related theses,but the texts or theses on architectural techniques,for example,record the technical specifications and construction methods,without giving a history of the development of the techniques or the context in which they progressed.In addition,there are no records of technical exchanges or the way in which they were passed on in the relevant gazetteers and genealogies.The Shangdang region,now known as Jincheng and Changzhi,accounts for 52.90 per cent of wood-frame buildings in Shanxi and 43.63 per cent of those in China from the Tang to the Yuan dynasties,which is representative of the region.Taking the Shangdang region as an example,the article collates inscriptions from the Yuan to the Qianlong periods of the Qing dynasty,supplemented by other documents such as the Fangzhi and the Huidian,and rakes through the types of local craftsmanship and historical information relating to the names and places of residence of folk craftsmen and the temples and courtyards they built in the various generations,in an attempt to gain a glimpse of the ways in which ancient craftsmanship techniques were passed down and exchanged through the ancient management bodies of craftsmen,inscriptions and architectural objects.Therefore,apart from the introduction and concluding remarks,the text is divided into four chapters.Firstly,the context of the artisans’ time is explained,and the administrative institutions and institutional regulations related to artisans in the Yuan and Ming dynasties are clarified,so as to explore whether any of the administrative institutions or institutional regulations are related to the inheritance and exchange of artisans;secondly,the types of ancient artisan techniques are sorted out,and the types of artisan techniques in technical texts,authentic histories,inscriptions and architectural objects are clarified,so as to pave the way for the following.Finally,based on the Shangdang inscriptions and the corresponding ancient buildings,we will explore the phenomenon of technological exchange and off-site construction in architecture,as well as the specific content of technological exchange.After research,it was found that there was indeed an inheritance and exchange of skills among ancient craftsmen,and this can be demonstrated in the physical objects of ancient buildings.In ancient times,craftsmanship was passed down from son to nephew and from apprentice to apprentice,with craftsmen specialising in one skill through blood relations or apprenticeship.In ancient times,craftsmen also exchanged skills and built in different places,which can be divided into four categories: technical exchanges between different provinces,technical exchanges between different cities,technical exchanges between different counties and technical exchanges between different communes.The migration of craftsmen and the exchange of craftsmanship techniques can better stimulate the exchange and innovation of folk handicraft techniques.However,it was also found that the specific content of technology transfer and exchange was not recorded in detail,and that the transmission of skills needed to be proven from physical objects.This also reflects the importance of oral transmission in the transmission of skills,showing that perceptual and rational understanding can be synchronised in order to learn these skills,not without oral transmission of the essentials,nor can they be taught by the book or on paper.In addition,it is a question that deserves attention and discussion as to why the building techniques of the ancient Shangdang region,such as Qiao’s glazing and Li’s pig iron smelting and casting,did not develop into an industrial agglomeration like that of Guangyuyuan and Wanglaoji.