蓝夹缬十代传人王河生

张益

一

在瑞安，国家级非遗项目“温州蓝夹缬”传承人王河生是个传奇人物。

1955年，王河生出生于瑞安马屿镇净水村，天生一股农民的韧劲。他读书只到中学，却有对知识的领悟灵性。

王氏祖上连续九代以蓝夹缬印染为业，清末民初在温州信和街开设染坊，名传浙闽两省。新中国成立后染坊关门，王河生的父亲创办了马屿染色工艺厂。他从小耳濡目染，知晓其工艺流程。

1973年，王河生进该厂学艺，实际操作技能飞速提高。可是没几年工厂停办，他便带着妻儿北上石家庄、北京开设洗染店。通过多年发展，王河生干出了一番事业，被行业公推为中国洗染行业协会筹备组成员，全国洗涤产品和洗涤业联合会秘书长、会长。其间，他转为城市户口，拿了工资入了党，还几次奉派去新加坡、日本、韩国及美国考察。国内外现代化学品的印染严重污染环境，触动他重温生态型的靛青印染之梦。

探究过印染史的王河生明白，中国是世界上最早发明织物印染的国家。北京山顶洞人遗留物件中已有石染，《诗经》《尔雅》等也有不少草染的记载。用植物染印，好处是少污染、护生态、利健康，又能推进种植业、农副业来带动农村经济繁荣。目前，世界各国努力发展环保型染印，中国的传统植物印染工艺受到普遍重视。

古代中国的编织品染色印花品种丰富。《考工记》将直接草染分作三大类：夹缬（镂染），绞缬，蜡缬。其中，蓝夹缬是夹缬中最普遍流行的一类（其余有红、紫、绿、黑、橙等）。这种隋唐以来用木雕版浇灌靛青印制各色花布的工艺，是复色夹缬的最重要遗存。浙南闽北及赣省部分地区的百姓千余年来一直喜欢蓝夹缬花布，说它解潮气、防伤风，宜于做老人小孩的衣服与床被。同时这里的酸性土壤适宜马蓝草（民间叫做靛青）的种植，方便就地取材，所以蓝夹缬染印甚为流布。直至上世纪50年代中后期，它才声息渐歇。但作为王氏传人，王河生觉得自己有义务有责任让它重焕生机，也可让世界看一看，中国自古就有宝贝！

二

2006年秋，王河生决心回乡创业，恢复祖传蓝夹缬工艺，或许能与乡亲们共同致富，能让偏僻的净水村争口气——当时没想着入选国家级非遗名录呢！

小儿子王新泉回忆说：“爸爸好样的，拿得起，放得下。那一年我深受震撼。男子汉应该有这种气魄，所以我对蓝夹缬也有了感情！”

王河生历来名声好，苦干，正直，热心肯帮人，回家才一个月就被推选为村支书。农民创业必须脚踏实地。王河生找来几个儿时伙伴与老染工胡义早谋划：最重要的是确保原料马蓝草至少种上六七十亩。

王河生统一了十几户农民思想，带头申报成立了马屿靛青专业合作社，并被选为社长。他为合作社投入最高的十万元股金。社员们出土地，出资金，供种苗，提建议，清明前后种下了马蓝草。

马蓝草的茎叶用来练制靛青膏作材料，今年丰收在望。但用作板蓝根药料，必须蓄根到第二年冬天挖售，才保质量——这就是古称“老蓝头”的传统中草药。贫弱农家，两年的生活靠什么支撑？

王河生先抓骨干，动员再凑份子帮穷家；自己外出悄悄贴高息借贷，还移用儿子订婚的聘礼钱。公心仁德感动了镇村干部与农村合作银行，支持放贷二十万元，使合作社渡过了“守着马蓝饿肚皮”的第一个难关。

有两千年历史的蓝夹缬是中国印染工艺的活化石。其流程除马蓝的种植、靛青膏染料的练制，印染的技术与经验，还得有关键的花版雕刻。没有雕版，就成不了蓝夹缬。这是第二个难关。

王河生打听到二十里外高楼镇的黄其良会雕版，跑了十几次，直到有一次闲聊，讲到中国夹缬在世界上早有盛名，伦敦大英博物馆将收藏的中国隋唐雕版视作珍宝；讲到唐玄宗把蓝夹缬及印花雕版作为国礼赠送外国使节，至今日本正仓院还珍藏着其中的一份作镇院之宝；还讲到大诗人白居易写过“成都新夹缬，梁汉碎胭脂”的《赠皇甫郎中》诗收藏于联合国教科文组织。“你若帮我们蓝夹缬工艺枯木逢春，明、后年报省、报国家作非遗项目来用，你黄其良立头功，垂青史！”一席话感动人，两人紧握手，泪花盈。

王河生发明催化剂即失传的染媒，是第三个难关！

马蓝草秋后收割下来，整理枝叶，入缸浸泡腐烂打靛，制作染膏成功了，不料几次夹布印染，都以失败告终。王河生与胡义早一同暗中叹气。

王河生想起爷爷说过，《荀子·劝学》中有“荩以铜盐媒染可得鲜绿，栩用铁盐媒染可得黑”的话。发明染媒（催化剂）是中国染色技术对世界的贡献，也是印染科技发展史上的重大贡献。以前父亲在染色工艺厂操作都加入染媒、也就是催化剂产生发酵。父亲长年印染，发酵剂始终在靛缸中遗留着，俗称缸脚料。现在从头开始，必须急寻发酵母本。

王河生记起师从过爷爷的远亲王雁山大叔，但他三次白跑了几百里涂泥路，依然没有成功。

这个春节过得惨啊。王河生打听到贵州有一蜡染老艺人，也弄过几年靛青蓝，研制过发酵剂，就卷起背包冒雨雪西行拜师。他软缠硬磨泡了一个月，老艺人关照：“气温不同，地域不同，湿度不同，配方中各种成分轻重多少，你得亲自测试，尤其是糖度。这是夹缬质量的关键！”

归来后，王河生赶紧配齐原料做试验。一星期，半个月，两个月，整整九十多个日夜，他试成了靛青染料发酵剂。小儿子王新泉把买香烟的钱改买两串长长的鞭炮，噼里啪啦足足燃放了十几分钟，和乡亲们同庆。

三

2008年冬，合作社的八十多亩马蓝草种植获得丰收。一批两年的宿根老蓝头品质优良，其清热解毒、利尿消炎的效用十分显著，完全符合《中国植物志》所载“南板蓝根”及《中华药典》所列性能。温州与南通制药厂等争着收购。社员们喜滋滋地杀猪过年，要求入社的猛增到六十多户。

2009年春，种下两百余亩马蓝草之后，王河生招集骨干转向建造染坊正式试制蓝夹缬，请来胡义早、黄其良及一位老染工当参谋。由春入夏，他们反复折腾了三个多月，总算印出蓝布、蓝带、农家围裙等花样布，初步达到清末民初的水平，但相距明代工艺的高水平还差一大截。王河生咧嘴直笑：“不容易，不容易，还要反复试！”

2009年6月，温州蓝夹缬制作工艺被列入浙江省第三批非遗保护名录，领头人王河生被批准为省、市蓝夹缬制作工艺传承人。省非遗保护中心郑重建议：继续提升技艺，确保蓝夹缬工艺稳定，扩大保护教育，今后申报国家级。

在庆功命名会后，有记者向王河生询问感受和下一步打算，王河生掷地有声地回答：“我们有把握向国家级冲刺。非遗保护缺乏青少年根本不行。我们明年先把民办‘蓝夹缬博物馆搞起来，补好非遗的宣传教育这一课，再坚持蓝夹缬精染试验，擦亮牌子，争取明后年拿到国家级非遗品牌！”

2010年5月，王河生捐大头、大家出小头集资180万元趁仲夏动工，三个月建成三层近千平方米的博物馆舍。秋收后他们聘请文化人相助布展，从下至上有靛青炼制、加工印染演示，有蓝夹缬各类实物及制作器具展示，有中国印染与蓝夹缬发展历史的图片、资料展览，有马蓝草种植与“老蓝头”牌板蓝根药用解说及青黛副产品的说明，还有蓝夹缬系列产品出售的展销。

这一年，马屿靛青专业合作社被命名为浙江省示范性农民专业合作社。

2011年元旦，蓝夹缬博物馆开馆，免费接待。消息传开，名传四方。一位来自深圳的中年台商，参观后硬要预付1万元订金，说要购买五套传统的蓝夹缬被套（即民间夹花被），下半年回台湾分赠奶奶、姨婆、表婶等作纪念。

这时，王河生已经放眼海外：国家号召生产性保护非遗，我们抓紧冲刺国家级，把标志性夹花被印制出来，走出国门……

四

2011年春，合作社扩种马蓝草，并与江西上饶、福建莆田签约种植收购；又引进包装流水线，生产“老蓝头”牌南板蓝根茶饮。合作社首先引来韩国客商，订购板蓝根二十吨和以靛青晒滤加工成粉的“青黛”十吨。

此时王河生继续带领大伙倾心仿明代蓝夹缬印制。“4月27日下午2点多，”王河生一笔一画写下难忘的记事（后刊《温州日报》），“在马屿蓝夹缬博物馆染坊综合车间，我与技师胡义早等十二人，把一匹白布细心地夹版浸入靛青染缸。反复三次提起放下，提起放下，白布先变黄绿色，空气中氧化后显出浅蓝、大蓝、深蓝……取出，沥干，析下雕版，蓝白分明，明代麒麟送子图案夹花被布印染成功！瑞安市蓝夹缬印染工艺失传半个世纪以后得以重生……”

社员们在拍掌欢呼，王河生却躲上楼悄悄抹去泪水，不吭一声。“五年来的没日没夜，就盼着这一天——他能不激动啊？”老染工胡义早颤抖着说。

就在这一夜开始，王河生安心地执笔修改早先呈报的申报国家非遗的新报告。一个多月之后的6月20日，文化部公布：温州蓝夹缬技艺列入第三批国家级非物质文化遗产名录，传承人王河生。

第二天，王河生配上更深的老花镜，提笔补充修改以前编写的书稿《植物靛青与传统印染》，希望广传后人。年终，他们染印成功彩色（复色）夹缬，让人们耳目一新。

2012年春节，马屿靛青合作社的蓝夹缬产品门市部在瑞安市区万松路开业，出售系列马蓝文化旅游保健品、装饰品、收藏品：南板蓝根茶包，青黛与靛蓝花产品，生态衣裤、餐巾、桌布及手提包，靛青膏染料，还有蓝夹缬被面、被套与妇女围裙……

法人代表王河生说得理直气壮：“非遗保护不能死保死守，应该抓生产性的开发，让民众与市场接受，才能长久传承，万古长青！”而阿根叔悄声告诉笔者：这几年，河生一没领工资，二得了胃病，“他是为家乡，为梦想耗命啊！”

笔者许久见不到王河生，便向忙得满头大汗的两位年轻工作人员打听。一位帅小伙转头回答：“我爸去北京筹备演示与展销去了，这里分给我们干。”说罢又转头忙着应付顾客的询问与购货。

原来王新泉也上阵了，他是王河生寄予厚望的年轻儿子……□

（本文摄影：郑建俊）

Wang Hesheng Restores Indigo Jiaxie

By Zhang Yi

Wang Hesheng, the designated master of Indigo Jiaxie, a national intangible cultural heritage, is a legendary figure in Ruian, a county-level City in Wenzhou, a central city in southern Zhejiang Province.

Inscribed on the list of Chinese national representative intangible cultural heritage on June 20, 2011, Wenzhou Indigo Jiaxie is a precious traditional Chinese printing and dyeing craft. With a history of thousand years, this dyeing technique was widely used in Zhejiang and Fujian Provinces in Tang Dynasty (618-906) and its popularity lasted until the early 1950s.

Today, Wenzhou Indigo Jiaxie is considered a living fossil of various ancient dyeing techniques used in the feudal China, and it has academic, historical and cultural value. Indigo Jiaxie things are in the collection of the British Museum and in the collection of Shosoin of Japan.

The indigo printing has run in the Wangs for at least ten generations. Wang Hesheng is a tenth-generation master of the family craft. Now he cannot put his finger on the year when the family first set up a dyeing business on Xinhe Street, Wenzhou City. It was either in the last years of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) or in the early years of the Republic of China (1911-1949).

After the People's Republic of China was founded, the family closed its business down in Wenzhou and Wang Heshengs father set up a dyeing factory in Mayu, a rural town closer to his home village of Jingshui.

Born in 1955, Wang Hesheng got his hands dyed in the family business when he was a child. In 1973, Wang began working in the family factory, mastering all the trade secrets of the family business. By the time the factory closed a few years later, Wang had already been a master. He moved to Shijiazhuang and Beijing with his wife and son, and operated several cleaners. Wang did business honestly, and was good at absorbing techniques. Thanks to his hard working and business acumen, he established himself as a master of the industry. He was elected secretary and president of the industrial association. He visited Singapore, Japan, Korea and America several times for business research and field study.

In the autumn of 2006, he announced that he wanted to go back home and restart the familys indigo printing and dyeing tradition. After more than twenty years in Beijing, Wang and his family had gained a firm foothold there. Wangs wife and son were shocked. They resisted at first, but finally they came around and moved back.

To bring the family technique back, Wang had a complete to-do list in his mind. He knew clearly that knowing how to restore the lost craft was one thing, but translating the blueprint into reality was another.

The most important step was to establish a farm that would produce a large quantity of the woad that would support a factorys annual use. Neighbors knew Wang personally and were willing to contribute to the restoration project. Before long, more than 10 households in the village signed up for his initiative and joined Mayu Indigowoad Cooperative to plant the crop in the next spring. Wang put 100,000 yuan as his startup shares of the cooperative. The farmlands of the households added up to a total of about 5 hectares, large enough to maintain the minimum crop for the blue dyestuff.

Around the Qingming Festival 2007, the woad crop was planted. In the autumn, the plant was about waist high. The leaves and stalks go into the dye and the indigowoad root is a popular ingredient for traditional Chinese medicine. In order to ensure quality and profitability, the crop must grow for two years before the root can be harvested. Some member households, however, needed cash urgently. So Wang loaned his sons wedding money to those in need. A local bank gave the cooperative a loan of 200,000. With the cash problem solved and the woad growing well, Wang Hesheng turned to other important things of his restoration project.

Wang needed a woodcarving artist to prepare printing boards for printing. He asked around and found a qualified woodcarving artist living about ten miles away. In order to engage the artist named Huang Qiliang, Wang visited him more than ten times. He said that restoring the lost craft was a worthwhile cause and he promised that Huangs name would go down in history if the lost art was successfully restored. The artist agreed to join the restoration endeavor.

The next challenge was to find a catalyst, a must have for the dyeing process of the cloth. After the woad was finally harvested, Wang made the dyestuff and tried to get calico dyed. However, the dyeing was unsuccessful without an appropriate catalyst. After learning that a craftsman in Guizhou, a province in southwestern China, had developed yeasts, Wang went to visit the master. The master explained that the yeast would respond closely to ambient temperatures and other conditions and that he needed to test and experiment to find the most suitable yeast for his factory. After more than ninety days of experiment, he developed the yeast for his indigo dyestuff.

The first big success for the cooperative was that the biennial crop yielded high quality indigowoad roots, which were sold lucratively to TCM drug makers in Wenzhou and Nantong. Sixty more households in the village wanted to join the cooperative. In the spring of 2009, more than 13 hectares of woad were planted.

With a workshop established and everything else ready, Wang got down to the serious business of bringing the Indigo Jiaxie back.

After hard working for more than three months, Wang and his assistants produced the first batch of Indigo Jiaxie products that were as good as those produced at the end of Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China. However, these aprons and blue fabrics were inferior in quality to those produced in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

In June 2009, the craft of Wenzhou Indigo Jiaxie was listed in the catalogue of Zhejiang provincial intangible cultural heritage and Wang Hesheng was appointed the master of the craft and put in charge of carrying the craft on.

This inscription turned out to be a turning point for Wangs Indigo Jiaxie project. The cooperative expanded fast. Farmers in Jiangxi and Fujian provinces were contracted for supplying quality woad to the cooperative. The cooperatives products now included indigo dyestuff and a beverage made of indigowoad roots. With a fund of 1.8 million raised, Wang had a museum built in Mayu Town to display the restored traditional craft.

On April 27, 2011, Wang and his 11-people team finally succeeded in making very beautiful printed fabric. It was a historical moment, marking the complete comeback of the Indigo Jiaxie of Wenzhou. On June 20, 2011, Wenzhou Indigo Jiaxie was inscribed as a national intangible cultural heritage.

After the Spring Festival of 2012, Wangs cooperative opened a sales outlet in Mayu Town. Now Wang has ambitious plans to market the cooperatives indigo products. (Translated by Danni)□