Meng Jianfeng, national senior technician of Beijing Gongmei Group, makes "Zanke". (Photo/CNTV)
The Chinese traditional art of "Zanke" consists in incising a design onto a hard metal surface, by cutting grooves into it. The engraving handicraft dates back over 3,000 years.
At first glance, these may look like soft silk.
They're actually pieces of carved silver. A skilful Chinese artisan made unique silver and gold-engraved platters as diplomatic gifts for leaders who attended the APEC summit in 2014.
Its creator, Meng Jianfeng, national senior technician of Beijing Gongmei Group, revealed its secrets. He said every piece of handicraft is unique, and that a proper engraving tool is crucial.
Meng has produced about 30 different engraving tools by himself. The smallest one he worked on took five days using a magnifying glass.
"Every day after I go home, I turn the problems over and over in my mind until very late. 下 How can I make these engraving tools and how to process them? Like everyone says, I even think about it even in my sleep," Meng said.
After choosing the best suitable engraving tool, the craftsman goes on to the next step.
With great effort, he engraves millions of grooves on a 0.6-millimeter silver slice. The attention to detail required makes it a challenge, even for a master craftsman like Meng.
Weaving the Chinese knot, the platter holder, with hard silver wires leaves his hands covered in blisters.
"If the metal Chinese knot is produced by machine, there will be some tiny sand holes. And in my mind, only hand-crafted works can be presented to honored guests as a national gift," Meng said.
Meng believes that the artisan can inject a unique vitality into every piece of handicraft. He says he intends to keep doing what he's good at and pass it on to the next generation of Zanke artisans.
