How to make rubbings?

Rubbing is an ancient traditional skill in my country. It is a skill that uses rice paper and ink to clearly copy the words or patterns on inscriptions and utensils. Very few people know this craft, and even fewer can do it to a professional level. The world of rubbings is divided into the Southern School and the Northern School, and each school is divided into many branches. Among them, the Su School is the main technical school of the Southern School, and Jin Chungang is an outstanding representative of the Su School.

Types of Rubbings Oracle Bone Inscriptions are characters carved with contract knives in the Shang and Zhou dynasties, also known as "deed writing" and "deed carving". Different styles have different styles in different periods. Except for a few of the contents, most of them are records of divination by princes at that time.

Rubbings of tiles from the Qin and Han dynasties. The tiles are ancient architectural components. They are made of clay and cannot be repeatedly rubbed. Unlike photos, which can be copied infinitely, they increase the value of the collection.

The changes in the tomb customs and systems of bricks in the past dynasties have become a series from Qin bricks to Ming bricks. The shorter the dynasty and the smaller the number, the more valuable it is, especially those with characters and patterns.

Old coin rubbings are generally small in size, and the rubbing tools must be exquisite and compact, making them a new favorite for collection.

The inkstone with rubbings and inkstone is one of the four treasures of the study, and the inkstone is a derivative. The content of the inkstone inscription records the description and emotion of the inkstone by the inkstone carver, the owner of the inkstone, the person who donated the inkstone, the collector, and the appreciator, as well as the emotions caused by the inkstone touching people and things.

Han portrait rubbings Han paintings refer to the portrait stones, portrait bricks, tomb murals, etc. left over from the Han Dynasty. They are a combination of painting and sculpture. Rubbings of Han paintings have precious artistic value, collection value and academic research value.

Stele Rubbings This is the part with the largest number of rubbings, involving famous steles from past dynasties, and is the main reference for calligraphy copying today.

Bronze rubbings Bronze rubbings refer to the rubbings of inscriptions and patterns on bronze mirrors and bronze ware.

Rubbing, that is, sticking rice paper on the surface of an object and rubbing it with ink to record patterns and characters.

Rubbings are printed directly from the original object. The size and shape are the same as the original object. It is a good way to record scientifically. In addition to artifacts with concave and convex patterns, this method is widely used to record oracle bone inscriptions, bronze inscriptions, inscriptions, epitaphs, ancient coins, portrait bricks, portrait stones, etc.

The basic method of rubbing is: first clean the surface of the stone, mark the pattern or text to be rubbed as clearly as possible, cover it with rice paper of suitable size, lightly moisten the paper, and then Then cover the wet paper with a layer of soft absorbent paper to protect the paper surface, and gently tap it with a brush to make the wet paper adhere to the surface of the object and undulate with the patterns and characters on it. Then remove the covering layer of paper, wait for the wet paper to dry slightly, dip a spatula in an appropriate amount of ink, apply it evenly on the spatula surface, and tap lightly on the protruding objects, a clear black and white rubbing will be formed.

In the rubbing process, it is best to use bletilla striata water to moisten the rice paper, which can make the tissue paper better adhere to the surface of the object to be rubbed. Small rubbings can be moistened with a soft brush or soft brush, and large rubbings can be moistened with a towel. The size of the flutter depends on the size of the expanded object. Use new cotton on the inside, add a layer of impermeable tissue paper on the outside, wrap it with silk on the outside, and tie it with a string or rubber band. The surface of the pat dipped in ink should have no wrinkles, and the center of the pat should be slightly bulging.

When mounting old paintings and calligraphy, especially those with precious cultural relic value, you must find framers who are experienced, highly skilled and conscientious. There are professional calligraphy and painting mounting shops and highly skilled framers in Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou and other places. For example, Rongbaozhai in Liulichang, Beijing, is a state-owned enterprise and is responsible for preserving and rescuing cultural relics. When they receive old paintings and calligraphy, they must study and discuss how to unmount them before assigning dedicated personnel to do the work. Don't try to save time and money by finding someone with mediocre skills nearby to frame your work. Lu Shihua, a famous calligraphy and painting appraisal expert in the Qing Dynasty, said in his book "The Legend of Calligraphy and Painting": "If calligraphy and painting are not installed by famous hands, even if they are in tatters, they would rather be wrapped up in a safe box. Don't overwhelm other objects, and don't act impatiently." To pay for a poor worker in a hurry is to destroy his traces. A poor worker is called an executioner." This is actually based on experience.

In addition, it is best to take photos or videos of precious old paintings and calligraphy before unmounting them to prepare for legal proceedings if they are damaged during the unmounting process.