Appreciating the scenery, singing and answering bosom friends —— Zhan Xuechang, a famous Shaanxi opera artist, and Ma, a gourd sculptor

The disciples of Ma, a famous gourd sculptor in Linxia, collect calligraphy. The screenwriter is Zhan Xuechang, a master of Qin Opera from Jingyuan. The friendship between the lines lasted for more than half a century, which produced a little-known Wen Yuan story.

Calligraphy inscription: "Mr. Liang Yao, graceful." Then the text reads: "Ma Lao's Fu Ji, a leap of thousands of miles. A good craftsman stays at home, a generation of masters. Hanging crane shin, strange and weird. Carefully carved, do whatever you want. Eighteen arhats, lifelike. The silk demon cave is exquisite. Birds fly in Phoenix, which is very interesting. Shaanxi opera facial makeup is full of fun. Landscape animals are permeated with charm. Five hundred arhats, the magic of providence. In the octogenarian years, cultivate young people. Dude, I am both virtuous and artistic. " Inscription: "In the year of Bingxu, Xia Yue, Zhang Xuechang wrote a book."

This calligraphy work was created in the summer of 2006. Twenty-four poems summarize the pursuit of immersion technology in Ma's life. At this time, Zhan Xuechang, a 60-year-old famous Shaanxi Opera artist, was sent, while Ma, a famous gourd sculptor in Linxia, was over the age of ancient times.

Linxia painter Feng Pilie interpreted this calligraphy work with sentences.

One is an energetic gourd carving master in Linxia, and the other is a famous Shaanxi opera artist in Jingyuan. What are the chances of establishing friendship between the two famous artists?

Ma and Senior Zhan met in Linxia Qinqiang Opera Troupe. It is said that two famous artists with a difference of 15 years met in the Shaanxi Opera Troupe, and they hit it off and formed an unforgettable friendship. At that time, Mr. Zhan Xuechang was a pillar of the Shaanxi Opera Troupe. As the inheritor of the characters of the Dragon-brand Shaanxi Opera and Facebook story, he needed to hand-paint it, and the two established a friendship.

In the 1940s, Zhan Xuechang was born in a peasant family in Liu Hong Village, Dongwan Town, Jingyuan County. 1956, 14 years old, he started his acting career as an apprentice in Jingyuan Qinqiang Opera Troupe.

1April, 963, Zhan Xuechang went to Pingluo County, Yinchuan City, and returned to Jingyuan by train via Lanzhou. During his stay in Lanzhou, he happened to meet the head of Linxia Qinqiang Opera Troupe. It was this accidental opportunity that he came to Linxia.

In this way, Zhan Xuechang entered Linxia Qinqiang Opera Troupe and became the lead singer and director at the age of 25, that is, 18. 1980, Zhan Xuechang was transferred back to Jingyuan. In August of that year 1, he was invited to perform in Jingyuan County, Baiyin, and his singing "Yuanmen Split" won a full house. In the place where he dreamed of starting-Jingyuan Opera Troupe was thirsty for talents and tried every means to get him; Linxia Shaanxi Opera Troupe, on the other hand, tries its best to keep people. In the long run, it is just like "Xiao He chasing Han Xin under the moon", which is no less than a show.

When Zhan Xuechang worked in Linxia, he was in his early twenties, which was the peak of his acting career. He devoted his beautiful youth to the art of Shaanxi Opera. His Shaanxi opera "Su Wu Mu Yang", "Golden Beach", "Xiahedong" and "Nanyang Pass" are well-known.

At this time, after Ma Liangyao stepped onto the stage of Shaanxi Opera performance, he painted a Shaanxi Opera mask for Zhan Xuechang on the spot. With the passage of time, two people with different feelings appreciate and respect each other and establish a friendship with Jin Lan.

These precious materials, which were preserved many years ago, are now more than 300 hand-painted facial masks of Shaanxi Opera kept by disciple La Yuxiang in the computer of the Institute, and some of them have also drawn color sketches, recording the archetypes of characters in the drama tradition.

Ma was born in Danqing's family. According to Linxia painter Jiang Yunling, his father has a close relationship with Ma Liangyao. They used to paint, paint walls, repair yards and live by craft. Putting a ceiling on others is called a beam lining. Sometimes the host takes care of a meal, so they bring home the bacon.

When Ma was young, his family was very poor. When he was old, he followed his father to Lanzhou to make a living. He studied under the gourd sculptor Li Wenzhai and mastered the craft of carving gourd. After returning to Linxia, he carved gourds for a living. 1964 was employed as a mechanic by Linxia Arts and Crafts Society until his retirement.

Most of the gourd carvings of horses are based on plays, fairy tales, folklore and landscapes. Representative works include Changbanpo, Yellow River Array, Daiyu Burying Flowers in Journey to the West, Biography of Yue Bai, Crossing the Sea by Eight Immortals, Peony and Peony, etc. 1983 Ma's handmade gourd crafts participated in the Canton Fair for the first time. Among them, the horse's carved gourd "Eight Heroes of the Marsh" was once collected by a businessman and then taken to foreign markets for high-priced auction.

In 20 13, Ma died at the age of 84. This man died, and his gourd carving skills are still passed down today. In Daxie Lane, Lane 13, Bafang, Linxia City, La Yuxiang of Ma Hulu Sculpture Art Research Institute said, "My brother Ma Shixian and I sorted out the facial makeup of Qin opera drawn by Master Ma, which is more precious."

La Yuxiang, who is in his early 30 s, is an apprentice of horse gourd carving. Master's gourd carving skills have been imitated by others.

Recalling Master's life, La Yuxiang said that Master's entrepreneurial process was difficult. Ma and his grandfather are old friends, and their frequent contacts are very helpful to Master. "My grandfather doesn't carve gourds, but he likes eating them very much. Therefore, "I began to learn from horses when I was in junior high school." La Yuxiang won the prize in the arts and crafts competition and became famous in the local area.

The micro-carving works of carved gourd in Hezhou are very interesting. The micro-landscape is on the surface of an egg-sized plain gourd, and the technology is ingenious. Even many words are engraved on a grain of rice, and there are thousands of troops and horses. Looking under a magnifying glass, the image of each character is lifelike. Horses are good at this micro-carving technique. He carved 800 arhats in miniature, which is amazing.

Gourd carving, brick carving and painted pottery imitation are also called "Three Wonders of Hezhou". Nowadays, there are many schools of carved gourds in Hezhou, and experts gather. Since then, Ma Yao began to study the gourd carving technology in Lanzhou, and explored and innovated to become the gourd carving technology in Hezhou, gradually becoming its own system.

Today, Linxia gourd carving handicraft industry has nearly 100 famous artists who make a living locally. Taking over the traditional mantle of Hezhou carving skills, the development in Linxia has gradually formed a scale. Many artists have exquisite skills, excellent craftsmanship, different styles, self-contained, wonderful presentation, and carry forward the gourd carving skills.

Linxia carved gourd is a kind of needle knife carving. The wonderful thing is that the exquisite micro-carving technology, meticulous carving and all kinds of strange things in the world are all displayed in the gourd. The lines carved by the horse's needle tip are delicate and exquisite, and the characters in the pattern are lifelike, exquisite and both in form and spirit. This is the superb skill of carving gourd in Linxia, which is wonderful.

Horses have studied gourd carving technology for a long time, immersed themselves in it, devoted themselves to it, and often forgot everything. Many times, according to a friend who knows him well in Linxia, whenever I go to Teacher Ma's house, I see him carving gourds. He regards the gourd in his hand as the whole of his life.