罗启松：一刀一刻一世界

陈伟华

在橘乡台州黄岩有一道风景“九峰”，九座山峰环抱，这一处清净之源，引无数游客寻幽探胜。九峰山海拔四五百米，突立在沿海平原上，像一扇高大宽阔的山水屏风。它不仅是一道风景，更是橘乡文化元素的凝聚。

87岁的国家级非物质文化遗产黄岩翻簧竹雕代表性传承人罗启松的翻簧竹雕名家工作室，就藏匿在九峰山麓的一片绿色之中，免费对外开放。

竹为纸，刀为笔，山水人物细雕琢。在长达60多个年头里，他苦心孤诣钻研翻簧竹雕技艺，一雕一刻，在艺术之路上守望探索。

罗启松，1935年出生于黄岩，2009年，被评为首批“浙江省优秀民间文艺人才”。其翻簧竹雕作品曾赴多国展览，并入选新中国国礼艺术家精品展、中国工艺美术双年展等国内各类大展，部分作品还被中国工艺美术馆、中华民族艺术珍宝馆、中国扇博物馆、浙江省博物馆、浙江省非遗馆等单位永久收藏。

家乡是永远的创作源泉

初夏，来到这里。入口处，摆放着一张斑驳的木桌，以及各式各样雕刻用的工具，它们是岁月的见证者。绘着孔雀开屏的竹雕花瓶、描着鸳鸯戏水图的梳妆台、日常生活中罕见的竹黄扇……罗启松的多件佳作，都摆放于此，古拙而充满真趣。

“这件翻簧大屏风《永宁秋色》是新作，足足花费了我一年的时间。过去我雕刻的作品，大多以古代山水为主，现在我把自己的艺术表现手法拓宽了，在创作中更多地考虑融入当代风情与时代气息，这样才能更接地气。”罗启松说，《永宁秋色》运用了多种雕刻手法，在艺术表现上大胆创新，能使观众产生新鲜感，实现了自己创作的初衷。

这件作品是于2019年底着手开始创作的。为了雕刻好这幅“大屏风”，一年来，他曾一次次从城关的家，步行去九峰山麓的工作室，每次都得走半个多小时的路程，累得气喘吁吁、满头大汗。这对于已到耄耋之年的罗老来说，真是一件不容易的事。

只要一踏进工作室，罗启松就激情澎湃地投入艺术创作的奇妙境界。为创作《永宁秋色》，他翻阅搜集了大量资料，积累了各种素材。那些表现永宁江两岸时代变迁、橘乡特色景象等的文字、图片和画作中蕴藏的细节，还有承载城市记忆、体现城市文化底蕴的点点滴滴，都能成为他刻刀下、竹片上很好的创作灵感。

2020年12月，翻簧大屏风《永宁秋色》终于完工。它散发着浓郁的江南乡土气息，融绘画技巧与雕刻手法于一体，上面还刻有：“永宁江畔橘金黄，四海驰名销远乡。便捷交通无阻塞，台州高速不寻常。品牌模具人称赞，塑料功能旺市场。甜蜜杨梅成翘手，出洋创汇国荣光。”这首罗启松题写的诗，表达了《永宁秋色》的创作主题——祝福家乡开启“千年永宁、中华橘源、模具之都”的新征程。

流淌千年的母亲河永宁江，享誉盛名的黄岩蜜橘，耀眼的坐标模具产业高地……家乡瑰丽的山海风光和人文风情，一直以来都是罗启松刻刀下取之不尽用之不竭的创作素材。除了这件新作，工作室里陈列的其他作品，也都散发着浓郁的江南乡土气息，它们的创作主题都来自罗启松的生活，或随事即兴，或偶感而作。

拜师学艺刻画人生

罗启松幼年丧父，母亲和姐姐用纺棉纱挣的钱，供他读完小学。他从小酷爱绘画，当时无钱买颜料，他就用毛笔蘸水在石头上写字作画。家乡的灵山秀水，早早地在他幼小的心灵里创造了一个独有的艺术世界。

16岁那年，他在县文化馆美术培训班学习，无意中看到老师握着一本《芥子园画谱》，便借阅回家。于是，他经常临摹画谱中的画稿，还经常外出采风写生。后来他又借得《齐白石画册》《于非闇花鸟画集》，沉醉于两位大家的笔墨情韵之中，反复揣摩学习他们的画谱，由此开启了自学国画的艺术之门。而这些，都为他以后从事翻簧竹雕艺术打下扎实的基础。

1957年，22岁的他本想报考艺术学校，不料阴差阳错，竟然以优异的绘画成绩被破格招入黄岩翻簧厂，从此与黄岩翻簧竹雕结下深厚的情缘。

初学艺，罗启松就与众不同，别人打样要用铅笔勾勒，而他直接用毛笔。“用铅笔只能画一块岩石，而用毛笔，可以把整片山水都画下来。”因为已有一定的绘画基础，再加上勤奋刻苦，不到三年，他就出师了。

罗启松的师傅，是当时黄岩翻簧竹雕的领头人陈方俊，而陈方俊是黄岩翻簧创始人之一陈夔典的孙子。刚开始做学徒，罗启松因为怕出错，每回去师傅那儿内心都会忐忑不安，但为了能像师傅那样自如地运用刻刀雕出翻簧的美，内向胆怯的他便一次次去请教。慢慢地，他从师傅那里领悟到创作的诀窍：要磨好刀，要熟练掌握刀法，要对山水画理解到位。他更加努力了，夜以继日地练习，同时不断了解竹子的品性，并深入到竹雕肌理。

師傅看到罗启松绘画功底扎实，毛笔打样一挥而就，而且画面布局挺合理，笔法也生动流畅，虽然有些技法还显得稚嫩，但经培养将来应该会成为一把好手，于是便十分用心地教罗启松直接用刀在“黄片”上雕刻。

起初，罗启松不是雕刀刻出“黄片”之外，就是雕刀穿透了“黄片”，报废了许多“黄板”。心急如焚的他常常紧张得直冒汗。师傅没有责罚他，每回见他如此紧张，就会情不自禁地上前，手把手地传授技艺，还不忘给他一些鼓励。逐渐地，罗启松学会了运刀深浅、用刀倾斜、刀锋转折等技法，还能很好地把握手腕的力度。

师傅在车间授课传艺时，罗启松总是最认真的那一个，专心听，刻苦练。为了能尽快掌握雕刻要领，他每天起早摸黑，哪怕节假日也去厂里加班。他往往一坐就是几个小时，直到双脚都麻木，握刀的手都不听使唤了。功夫不负苦心人，久而久之，罗启松的翻簧竹雕技艺终于脱颖而出，且大有“青出于蓝而胜于蓝”之势。

翻簧竹雕的时光机

罗启松翻簧竹雕名家工作室的前身，是黄岩启松翻簧竹雕研究所，成立于1998年5月。

当时它就设在罗启松家中，面积不足5平方米，容纳不下几人。若有人要观展，必须先穿过一条狭窄的小巷，走进一扇木头门，再爬上吱呀作响的小楼梯，才能看到挤在一起的大小展品。因处于陋巷尽头，大多数人进门时不会留意到门口悬挂的“筛竹斋”这张招牌。

2013年11月，黄岩区委宣传部拟定新建罗启松翻簧竹雕名家工作室。之后，黄岩启松翻簧竹雕研究所迁址至九峰公园，并更名。近些年来，就是在这个工作室里，罗启松以传承非遗技艺和培养传承人为目标，积极开展翻簧竹雕作品创作和技艺理论研究，并积极举办多种形式的翻簧竹雕交流活动。

纵横削竹取精华，嫩黄雅致媲象牙。

应物传神精雕琢，胜如琥珀雅俗夸。

这是民间诗人吟咏黄岩翻簧的诗句，它称赞黄岩翻簧工艺品具有极高的艺术欣赏价值和收藏价值。

但新中国成立前，黄岩翻簧竹雕曾一度处于“停滞”状态，后在政府的扶持下，生产得以恢复。1955年，黄岩翻簧刻字社成立（后发展为黄岩翻簧厂）。20世纪60年代，黄岩翻簧曾迎来一个短暂的辉煌时期。有一件事，令罗启松终生难忘。

那是1964年的初夏，郭沫若先生因仰慕黄岩翻簧的名声，到黄岩翻簧厂参观。郭沫若不仅对黄岩翻簧独特的制作工艺产生了浓厚的兴趣，更是对翻簧作品上雕功精致的花鸟虫鱼赞不绝口。在工厂陈列室里，郭沫若先生顺手拿起一个茶叶盒，上面雕刻着几只跃然欲飞的山雀，他饶有兴味地注视着。而这件作品，就是罗启松制作的。

当时，郭老对罗启松等陪同人员说，黄岩翻簧竹刻采用国画手法，把绘画技巧与雕刻刀法融为一体，有画面，有题款，有图章，构成一幅幅具有诗情画意的工艺品，堪与青田石雕、浙江木雕（东阳木雕、乐清黄杨木雕）同称为“浙江三大雕刻”。郭沫若回京后，对黄岩翻簧赞誉有加，引起了中央媒体的关注。后来有记者还专程赴黄岩，拍摄翻簧竹雕生产工艺的全过程。黄岩翻簧的故事，由此传播开来。

1979年，黄岩翻簧厂成立创新设计组，产品从原来的20多个品种发展到230多个，翻簧艺术品成批生产出口。改革开放后，国外木制品玩具传入中国，黄岩翻簧厂因市场经济需求，逐渐转型生产木制礼品。1985年，再也不做翻簧竹雕产品了。那时，罗启松备受打击，立志要重现黄岩翻簧辉煌。退休后，他在亲朋好友不解的目光中，重操旧业，重启翻簧事业……

有关黄岩翻簧竹雕的珍贵史料，都被罗启松陈列于名家工作室内。不知不觉中， 罗启松已从一名翻簧手艺人，变成了 “守”艺人。

罗启松曾经一次次去学校上课，为孩子们讲“非遗”，讲传统文化。“在中国工艺美术百花园里，黄岩翻簧是一朵奇葩，我们至少不能让这门手艺失传。艺术追求永无止境，传承古老的翻簧竹雕文化，是这个时代赋予我们的历史重任。”罗启松动情地说。

竹片上的艺术传承

百年竹之韻，悠悠翻簧音。那些精湛的技艺，带着时光的印记代代流传，揣着历史的温热延续至今。通过它们，罗启松便可以与古代匠人隔着时空对话。保存这一技艺的当务之急，是培养新人，让传统技艺能传承发展下去。

黄岩翻簧艺术，堪称国内一绝，然而过去受老工艺的限制，只能制作“小玩意”。如今，老工艺被罗启松等人创新了，翻簧艺术也有了大型作品。

在罗启松的翻簧竹雕名家工作室，就有一件作品特别引人注目，名为《凤耳孔雀花瓶》。这件作品的制作材料是罗启松精挑细选、严格把关的。他专挑生长周期3至5年，长在向阳山坡上，竹身大而节长，不断枝折顶、长势良好的毛竹，去青去肌后蒸煮软化压平，然后精挑那些材质细密、色泽光润的竹黄，用以制作这件作品。

《凤耳孔雀花瓶》在创作设计上颇有创新。此瓶纹饰工整、古朴庄重，涵盖16面，由32块竹黄斗角组合而成。瓶的颈腹，是罗启松用竹子的横断面拼凑而成，束颈阔腹，实属罕见。在瓶的颈部上下，饰有阳刻纹样，且布局错落有致。另外，在技法上，罗启松也别出心裁，他在主体瓶身的弦纹下，精心雕刻了精致的孔雀图。置放了20多年后，这件竹黄器经过氧化变为琥珀色，令人爱不释手。

再如他的作品《贵妃出浴博古盒》《黄山烟云三折屏风》，还有入选G20杭州峰会杭州萧山机场国宾楼艺术品陈设的《赏花图宫扇》等，都颇具艺术特色。这些竹黄器大多以竹和木为胎，外表粘贴竹黄，色调柔和，十分精美。罗启松采用薄意雕和线雕等艺术表现方法，将绘画的笔墨浓淡效果，巧妙地转化为雕刻疏密有致的效果。这样，线条看上去显得有序且富有立体感，画面和造型显得自然传神。

由于长年累月的伏案工作，罗启松患上了颈椎病，近年来疼痛不断折磨着他。他那双长年握刀的手，长满了老茧，让人看了心疼。掌握这一技艺的人如今寥寥无几，已87岁高龄的罗启松，是为数不多的坚守者。

在罗启松的影响下，儿子罗文弛也走上了传承翻簧竹雕之路。与父亲罗启松一样，罗文弛也是一个富有创新精神的手艺人。以往为了让产品增加光亮度，通常会涂上一层油漆，时间久了油漆就容易发生龟裂，如果用机器或普通的布去打磨，容易破坏竹黄表皮。罗文弛反复琢磨，最终选用丝绸去打磨，这样处理后居然有点像象牙雕了，带着一种很自然的光亮。

谈及未来，罗启松期待黄岩翻簧竹雕能将艺术与实用相结合、科技与传统相结合，能走进千家万户，焕发出新的生机和活力。

Luo Qisong： Carving a Unique Bamboo World

By  Chen Weihua

In Huangyan district， Taizhou city in East China’s Zhejiang province， lies a scenic spot called Jiufeng or Nine Peaks. Surrounded by nine mountains， the place has attracted numerous visitors over the years. Rising above the sea level at four to five hundred meters， the nine peaks stand out on the coastal plain like a tall and broad screen. They are more than sceneries to admire; they are also where the cultural essence of Huangyan is concentrated.

Nestled in one piece of greenery along the picturesque mountain range is Luo Qisong’s studio of Fanhuang bamboo carving， open free of charge to the public.

Born in 1935， 87-year-old Luo is a national representative inheritor of Fanhuang bamboo carving， a traditional art form first developed in the Qing dynasty （1616-1911） in Huangyan. The craft is known for its refined sculpturing， elegant modeling and bright yellow colors.

Applying primarily the technique of relief engraving， the bamboo can be decorated with various landscapes， flowers， birds， and figures， making the carvings look as if they are made of ivory. To create Fanhuang bamboo wares， moso bamboos， which are the most commonly raw materials， are first skin-removed and sliced， before being molded and drawn with colors， and fine-carved and lacquered. What makes Fanhuang bamboo carving unique is the fact that the carving is done on the inner linings of bamboo stems.

Over the past six decades， Luo has dedicated much of his time performing and perfecting his carving skills. He has won numerous honors and titles during the time， including “Outstanding Folk Artist of Zhejiang Province”， and some of his works have been permanently collected at museums such as the China National Arts and Crafts Museum and the Zhejiang Provincial Museum.

Stepping into Luo’s studio， one could immediately see plenty of his works： a bamboo vase with a peacock spreading its tail feathers on it， a bamboo dressing table with mandarin ducks and a rare yellow bamboo fan … many of Luo’s finest carving works are on display in the studio.

“This big screen Autumn in Yongning is one of my newest creations，” Luo said. “It took me a whole year to finish.”

Starting at the end of 2019， when he set out working on it， Luo had to travel from his home in the downtown area to work the studio for the next year. He would have to walk more than half an hour， panting and sweating， which to a man of Luo’s age is quite a testing task. In addition， he went through tons of books and materials from which to draw ideas.

“While my previous carving works focused mostly on landscape in ancient times， I’ve broadened my artistic expression through integrating more contemporary elements and making them more relevant，” he added.

Indeed， Autumn in Yongning — the title derives from the Yongning River， a thousand-year-old river that the locals affectionately call their “mother river” — has incorporated a variety of carving techniques， and the bold and innovative artistic expression has lent the work a refreshing feeling.

Not only the Yongning River， Huangyan’s famed tangerines， its well-known molding industry and its people … Luo’s hometown has proved to be a limitless source of inspiration for his carving works.

Luo’s father passed away when he was still very young， and it was his mother and elder sister who had supported him to complete elementary school. At the time， he had been quite into painting. Too poor to buy paints， he would dip a secondhand inkbrush into water and write on stones. At the age of 16， he would imitate the paintings listed in the Manual of the Mustard Seed Garden， a popular manual of Chinese painting compiled during the Qing era. Later， Luo immersed himself in the artistic world of Qi Baishi （1864-1957） and Yu Fei’an （1889-1959）， two of China’s most renowned painters. These experiences laid a good foundation for Luo’s later endeavor in the art of Fanhuang bamboo carving.

In fact， in 1957， when Luo was 22 years old， he was planning to apply to study at an art school. But as fate would have it， his excellent painting skills earned him some reputation and attracted the attention of the local Fanhuang bamboo carving factory， which made an exception for Luo by employing him as one of their resident craftsmen. Within three years of apprenticeship， Luo would be able to work on his own. Before long， he would become a master himself.

Luo’s success is largely down to his hardworking attitude. When the shifu （or teacher） taught the craft in the workshop， Luo was always the most serious one， listening attentively and practicing extensively. To master the essentials of carving as soon as possible， he got up early every day in the dark， and even went to work overtime in the plant on holidays. He would sit there for hours， until his feet were numb and the hand that held the knife could not be controlled.

In 1964， Guo Moruo （1892-1978）， admiring the exquisiteness of Fanhuang bamboo carving， made a special visit to Luo’s plant. Guo not only showed great interest in the unique production process， but also marveled the flowers， birds， worms and fish carved on the works. In the display room， Guo picked up a tea caddy with several titmice vividly carved on it， as if they would fly away at any moment. This tea caddy， which Guo examined for quite some time， was made by Luo. After Guo returned to Beijing， he continued to sing praises of the Fanhuang bamboo carving craft， which eventually caught the eyes of the state media. Indeed， a few journalists traveled specially to Huangyan to film the whole production process. As a result， the story of Fanhuang bamboo carving gradually spread to the entire country.

The episode with Guo has left an indelible mark in Luo’s mind， and inspired Luo’s continuous search for perfection. Over the years， he has not only perfected his skills on Fanhuang bamboo carving， but also innovated the craft. In the past， craftsmen only focused on making “small gadgets”， but now， much larger works are produced， thanks to Luo’s selection of large and sturdy bamboos as raw materials and his delicate carving techniques.

As a result of years of desk work， Luo has been plagued with cervical spondylosis for quite a few years. His hands， thanks to all these years of knifework， are full of calluses. Right now， Luo is only one of the few remaining artists who have mastered the craft of Fanhuang bamboo carving and who are still practicing the craft.

Therefore， to better preserve it， one of the top priorities is to train new talents so that the skills could be passed on and further developed. Throughout the years， Luo has spent a lot of efforts in this regard. Luo regularly holds events and organizes workshops on Fanhuang bamboo carving in his studios. He has been to many schools delivering lectures to students on the significance of traditional Chinese culture and on the importance of better inheriting “intangible cultural heritage”. Influenced by his experience and achievements， Luo Wenchi， his son， has taken up the craft and become an outstanding artist of Fanhuang bamboo carving as well.

“In the garden of Chinese arts and crafts， Huangyan’s Fanhuang bamboo carving is undoubtedly a wonderful flower，” Luo said. “At the very least， we can’t allow the loss of this craft. The pursuit of art is an endless journey， and it is our historical responsibility to continue passing on the ancient bamboo carving culture.”