The Skillful Craftsmen in Lingnan · The Guardians of Ancient Buildings | Encaustic Tile
上个世纪二三十年代，花阶砖传入广州，因其纹饰丰富、色彩多样、耐磨防潮的特点迅速风靡。花阶砖的流行让人们重新审视了踩在脚下的地面，改变了中国建筑的地面审美；同时其防水防潮的性能也十分适应岭南的湿热气候。
In the 1920s and the 1930s, encaustic tiles were brought into Guangzhou and then in a fashion quickly because of their rich patterns, diverse colors, wear resistance, moisture resistance and other characteristics. The prevalence of encaustic tiles has changed the floor aesthetics in Chinese architecture and allowed the Chinese to re-examine the floor under our feet. Besides, its water-proof and moisture-proof performance also adapts to the hot and humid climate in Lingnan very well.
如今，花阶砖早已被机械化大批量生产的瓷砖替代，但在不少历史建筑里，这些纹饰丰富的花阶砖仍在讲述着那一段熠熠生辉的历史。
Nowadays, although encaustic tiles have long been replaced by the ceramic tiles produced in a mechanized manner and a large volume, the encaustic tiles with rich patterns are still telling that period of brilliantly shining history in many historic buildings.
广州永庆坊吉祥坊52号民居，推开棕红色的木门，低头看踩在脚下的地面，会发现那是由20×20cm、白色和绿色拼色、镜像铺设的花阶砖铺设成的，大面积的几何图形与整间屋子的内饰搭配起来，整体颇显美观。
Here is No. 52 residential buidling at Jixiang Fang of Yongqing Fang in Guangzhou. Open the brown-red wooden door and look down to the floor beneath their feet, and visitors can find that it is paved with white and green mirrored tiles in 20×20 cm. The geometric figure in large area matches the interior decoration of whole room, making the entire scene quite beautiful.
如今，这栋广州市历史建筑需重新修缮后对公众开放。修缮时要尽可能恢复每个元素的原样，包括踩在脚下的那一小块花阶砖。修复花阶砖的工序交给了拥有近40年从业经验的铺砖匠吴文进。
However, this historic building in Guangzhou has to be renovated now for its re-opening to the public. Each element shall be restored to its original state as much as possible, including the small piece of encaustic tile under visitors’ feet. Wu Wenjin, a tiler with nearly 40 years of professional experience, has undertaken the task to restore those encaustic tiles.
57岁的吴文进是江门开平人，家中叔伯兄弟皆从事建筑行业。1982年，吴文进开始跟着铺砖的叔叔学艺，两年后便开始独立接活。工地里的活儿，他最擅长的还是铺砖，既铺过新房地面，也修过开平碉楼专业的老建筑，都是又快又平整。
Mr. Wu is 57 years old and a native of Kaiping in Jiangmen, whose uncles and brothers all engage in building trades. In 1982, Mr. Wu started his apprenticeship with his uncle, a tiler. Two years later, he began undertaking tasks alone. When it comes to various jobs on the construction site, Mr. Wu is best at tiling. He has not only tiled the floor in new buildings but also restored the old buildings like Kaiping Watchtowers in a professional manner. All of his work is quick, smooth and intact.
吴文进回想起第一次踏入这间屋子时，“当时地上花阶砖有的烂了、有的旧了，近一半都损坏了。”雇主从别的老房子内寻得规格和式样都一样的旧砖，吴文进便用这些旧砖按完整的那一半样式重新铺设。
Mr. Wu recalled the first time as he stepped in the room, “Some of the encaustic tiles on the floor were broken while others were worn out. Almost half of those tiles were damaged.” Fortunately, the house owner found some old tiles in the same size and style from other old buildings, and Mr. Wu used those tiles to re-pave the floor according to the style and pattern of the rest of those intact tiles.
比起建筑业的其他活儿，铺砖多在室内，免受风吹日晒，但脏累是难免的，铺砖匠双手总是沾满泥浆，切割时溅起的灰尘也常常让他们不得不戴着防尘口罩作业。
Compared with other tasks in building trades, most of the tiling tasks are in door so that tilers can be away from the sun and wind. However, dirt and tiredness are inevitable. Tilers always have mud on their hands and wear anti-dust respirators to avoid the dusts from tile cutting.
吴文进说，铺砖最讲究平整。每铺好一块阶砖，他便需用橡胶锤子敲打，先敲中间，再敲四周，最后再检查一遍平整度。如今可以用水平尺来辅助完成这一步骤，但吴文进还是会配以经验和手感反复查验，以求精准地掌握砖与砖之间的平齐度。
Flatness are of particular importance in tiling according to Mr. Wu. For each tile he paved, he struck it with a rubber hammer first in the middle and then around, and finally examined its flatness. Although artisans now can have a spirit level help them complete this process, Mr. Wu will double check the flatness based on his experience and hand feel, so as to control the precise flatness among tiles.
走进一栋栋岭南历史建筑，踏上一块块精美的花阶砖，仿佛误入浪漫的“花海”。
When walking into each historic building in Lingnan and stepping on each exquisite encaustic tile, visitors seem to have strayed into a romantic “sea of flowers”.
如今古建筑修缮领域大热，每逢地面需要修复花阶砖时，匠人们都十分头疼，因为市面上基本没有花阶砖生产厂家。现在很多古建筑进行修缮时，多半是要找到一些被拆除的老房子保留下来的花阶砖。因此，每回修缮老屋铺花阶砖，吴文进都会格外小心，因为“铺一块少一块。”
Now, the ancient building restoration is booming again. However, artisans are in big trouble each time when there is a need for encaustic tile renovation because there is almost no encaustic tile manufacturer on the market. Therefore, when many ancient buildings are renovated, most of the artisans will manage to acquire the encaustic tiles remained from demolished old buildings at present. As a result, each time when paving encaustic tiles in an old house, Mr. Wu will be particularly careful because those tiles “cannot be purchased anymore once damaged.”
岭南古建研究专家欧阳仑呼吁，花阶砖作为岭南地区近现代古建筑的特征性装饰艺术材料，应好好地传承及研究制作技法，复原花阶砖的美丽图纹。
Ouyang Lun, an expert on ancient Lingnan buildings, are calling on the inheritance and research on the manufacture techniques of encaustic tiles, the characteristic and artistic decorative materials for modern ancient buildings in Lingnan, so as to restore their beautiful patterns.
来源：广州日报
Source: Guangzhou Daily
统筹/秦晖 肖桂来
Report planning: Qin Hui and Xiao Guilai
作者：何钻莹、何瑞琪、莫伟浓
Author:He Zhuanying,He Ruiqi and Mo Weinong
