How a Chinese Copper Art Workshop from Jiande Win Hearts, Applause in Florence
At the dazzling booth of Tongshifu, every piece, from delicate and compact copper gourds to magnificent statues of Guan Gong, an ancient general known for his loyalty and bravery in battles, demonstrates a high level of artistry by taking the traditional lost-wax copper casting technique as the core and integrating modern aesthetics and cultural elements.
The sculpture of Bumblebee from 'Transformers,' in particular, is an eye-catching Tongshifu collaboration with an internationally renowned IP. Using the high-temperature coloring technology for copper materials, it restores the mechanical texture and heroic fighting posture of the movie character, winning thumbs-up from numerous audiences.
These exquisitely crafted, vivid, and well-balanced artworks not only carry forward the time-honored inheritance of Chinese copper art but also convey the vitality of modern innovation.
Behind the stunning debut of Tongshifu at the fair lies the unremitting efforts of Jiande, where its headquarters is located, in painstakingly forging and cultivating cultural enterprises over the years, which have breathed new life into local traditional culture.
Founded in 2014, Tongshifu faced many problems, such as a shortage of funds, in the initial stage of its business. Keenly aware of the start-up's problem and potential, the local government of Jiande took the initiative to assist the enterprise in applying for specific supportive funds totaling over 4 million yuan, a timely boost to the development of the start-up.
Meanwhile, Jiande has attached great importance to highlighting cultural inheritance, which is the soul of Tongshifu's success.
In 2020, Jiande conducted in-depth visits to Tongshifu to explore the value of the traditional techniques behind it, and helped the lost-wax copper casting technique of Tongshifu to be recognized as a local intangible cultural heritage. In 2024, the lost-wax copper casting intangible cultural heritage workshop was selected as the second batch of provincial-level projects in Zhejiang. This has not only continuously enhanced the brand cultural connotation of the enterprise but also attracted broader attention to this ancient technique.
The ability of Tongshifu to reach the global stage of the Florence International Handicraft Fair benefits from the charm of the intangible cultural heritage behind it, as well as the accumulation and breakthrough of its design aesthetics, technological innovation, and cultural integration capabilities.
As early as 2021, Jiande held a cultural and creative design competition, encouraging enterprises to showcase the development of the times with traditional techniques.
Jiande is known for hosting the Xin'anjiang Hydropower Station, China's first large-scale hydropower station. The local government collaborated with Tongshifu to develop a copper relief painting of the hydropower station, setting a successful example of modern expressions of traditional culture.
Today, thanks to continuous launches of new artworks with both artistic and collection value, Tongshifu has become a well-known brand with annual sales of hundreds of millions of yuan and 5 million fans.
The lost-wax copper casting technique has a complex process and high costs, with each artwork requiring an independent wax mold, and the production process taking 30 to 45 days. In fact, for an enterprise like Tongshifu to shine on the world stage, it relies not only on the inheritance of culture, technological breakthroughs, and expressions of the times but also on the patient, meticulous, and dedicated cultivation and support of the local government.
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