Colorful mother-of-pearl pieces were flipped and joined between fingertips, quietly transforming into outspread butterfly wings and unfurling flower petals... On the afternoon of October 31, a unique intangible cultural heritage (ICH) mother-of-pearl inlay workshop was in progress at the Wutong Lake Campus of HXIT. Students felt the time-honored craftsmanship that transcends time within the small workspace.
Organized by HXIT’s General Education School, this activity was led by Ms. Li Wenya from the School of Art Design and Media, and carried out in a "theory + practice" format. She started by talking about the thousand-year development context of mother-of-pearl inlay craftsmanship, then elaborated in detail on the complete process from material selection and polishing to inlaying and buffing. With the aid of physical object displays, she vividly explained this ancient craft, helping students quickly understand this traditional technique which is described as "using shells as ink and craftsmanship as a brush".
During the practical operation session, students carefully selected mother-of-pearl pieces of various colors, cut and pasted them with great attention, and gradually outlined vivid patterns such as agile butterfly wings and blooming flowers. Ms. Li moved around among the students, providing guidance from the angle of the knife to the position of pasting, and encouraged everyone to integrate modern aesthetics into the traditional craft. Through careful thinking and skilled hands, the originally plain materials gradually radiated brilliant luster.
"It’s the first time I’ve learned about the traditional technique of mother-of-pearl inlay today," said Li Mingyang, a student from Medical Laboratory Class 1254. "Being able to turn ordinary shells into works of art with my own hands allows me to truly understand what craftsmanship means." Chen Zhiling from Automation Class 1252 also stated that through this practice, he has developed a stronger interest in and respect for traditional culture.
It is reported that HXIT will continue to launch a series of general education aesthetic activities, promote more ICH projects to enter the campus, nourish students’ hearts with aesthetic education, and help students achieve holistic development.
