Following in the footsteps of Tang Tianchi was another celebrated iron picture artisan named Liang Yingda. Subsequently, there were no other particularly outstanding masters although the art was handed down from generation to generation by skillful craftsmen. Today, iron pictures are not only favorite artistic ornaments used by ordinary people but are also displayed at national-level guesthouses or halls, appealing to both refined and popular tastes.
Variegated copperware
Variegated copperwares are the traditional folk artworks unique to Southwest China'sYunnan Province, and boast a history of more than 300 years. The process of making variegated copperware is complicated and strict, requiring high-quality copper alloy as its base material.
Variegated copperware features russet variegated patterns on its surface and a touch of grandeur. When copper is mixed evenly with other compounds, it can achieve copper products of a single color, such as brass, purple copper, bronze, etc. If unevenly mixed, the surface of the copper will result in either faint or strong variegated patterns. Variegated copperware is achieved by mixing copper and other compounds unevenly.
The variegated copperware of Yunnan Province not only inherits and improves on its traditional characteristics, but also assimilates artistic elements from Yunnan's bronze and bronze culture from the Central
Plains and integrates the techniques of modern sculpting. Currently, the products appear in six categories: human figures, animals, flowers, vases and pots, burners, wall decorations, and household utensils.
Artworks made of variegated copper are simple and unsophisticated, yet elegant. Among them, peacock, ox and tigar motifs are most unique in Yunnan. Yunnan variegated copperware has won international prizes on several occasions and has been designated as State-level gifts sent abroad.
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