Yixi

East Asia and the Pacific China (Yunnan's Tibetan Plateau)

Year(s) attended: 2010

Basket Weaving, Ceramic, Wood Work, Carving (Stone) and Prayer Flags

Yixi, a master wood worker from Benzilan, Yunnan, crafts Tibetan wood bowls for drinking tea and boxes for storing tsampa (roasted, ground barley). A direct descendant of famed wood worker Gerong Yixi, he trains young artisans in traditional wood carving and lacquer work.

Pieces are made from birch, schoepfia chinensis, mono maple tree, and some tree roots, all of which is acquired from national forests practicing sustainable logging. Both plant-based and chemical lacquer is used for lacquer ware, which is occasionally accented with silver or gold leaf.

Yixi is also representing the art work of other artists supported by the Yunnan Mountain Heritage Foundation.