爐神廟，傳承不滅的琉璃之火

○博山爐神廟，歷經(jīng)400多年風雨滄桑。圖／何延海The Furnace God Temple of Boshan, undergoing 400 years of vicissitudes.

坐落在孝婦河西岸琉璃園的博山爐神廟，建于明萬歷三十九年（1611年）。400多年時間里，爐神廟與博山琉璃文化息息相關，見證了博山琉璃業(yè)的興衰枯榮。曾作為博山琉璃業(yè)公眾醮會(民間祭祀迎神的活動)之所的爐神廟，在今日時空下，彰顯出更多的精神意義。重又復興的爐神廟內(nèi)拜師收徒的風俗，傳承著源遠流長的琉璃文化。

凝聚爐行精神

北京故宮博物院原院長楊伯達曾說過：“爐神文化在淄博，別無二家。”其實，爐神廟供奉的就是華夏民族人文先始女媧。相傳，女媧煉石補天時所用的“五色石”就是琉璃。所以，博山爐行（即琉璃行業(yè)）就把女媧氏認作本行的“祖師”。爐神廟始建之初，博山琉璃生產(chǎn)發(fā)展已有相當大的規(guī)模。爐行內(nèi)的徐應元首先倡議，并征得了當?shù)刂麪t行士紳孫延壽的支持，共同集資建了這座廟，廟名定為“祖師爐神廟”。

明萬歷四十六年(1618年)，博山爐行由徐應元、孫延壽、房宗義3人為首，邀集業(yè)內(nèi)23人共同結成“爐行醮會”。他們規(guī)定每年的上巳日(農(nóng)歷三月初三)為祭祀祖師的日子。每到這一天，全爐行都要歇業(yè)停產(chǎn)，到爐神廟共同舉行祭祀活動。這種行業(yè)性的祭祀活動世代相沿，逐漸形成了博山農(nóng)歷三月初三舉辦“爐神廟會”的習俗。

雖然初建時的爐神廟規(guī)模甚小，只有3間殿堂，但是隨著博山琉璃業(yè)日益繁榮，爐神廟地位提升，不斷被翻修擴建。2006年，博山爐神廟被定為省級重點文物保護單位。即便歷經(jīng)數(shù)百年，爐神廟女媧像眉目依然清晰可辨，殿堂紋飾精美絕倫，滄桑中透出濃濃的歷史沉淀之感。

見證滄桑變遷

400多年來，博山爐神廟一直作為博山琉璃業(yè)的象征，將當?shù)亓鹆嚾恕t匠凝聚在一起，它的興衰也反映了博山琉璃業(yè)的榮枯。爐神廟建成后，博山琉璃業(yè)日益興盛。博山作為明清官爐之一，成為當時中國最大的琉璃生產(chǎn)基地和產(chǎn)品集散地之一。

至道光四年（1824年），爐神廟香火叢集，因原廟址地勢狹窄，曾在京城做過兵部職方司主事的蔣天鈞和做過大理寺評事的蔣天修兩兄弟“于廟后施宅基一區(qū)，以為(爐神廟)晨拓之地”。又經(jīng)后人重塑女媧像，擴大原址，基本上奠定了現(xiàn)存爐神廟的規(guī)模。史料《重修爐神廟碑記》中寫道:“雕甍銹闊，金耀丹流。遙接文峰，近臨孝水。來者每低徊留之而不能去。”昔日爐神廟莊嚴華美可見一斑。

然而，至咸豐十一年(1861年)，捻軍攻入博山，爐神廟受到一定的損壞。到同治十二年(1873年)，爐神廟又一次重修，并加塑一座火帝神像，反映了博山爐行“熔煉之功莫大于火”“火帝之功不可不報”的思想觀念。

晚清以后，國家動蕩，戰(zhàn)亂不斷，人們已無暇關注作為裝飾用品的琉璃，博山琉璃業(yè)一度沒落，爐神廟也因此逐漸被人遺忘，改作他用。直到中華人民共和國成立之后，博山琉璃事業(yè)繼續(xù)發(fā)展。曾被用作學校、印刷廠的爐神廟終于在上世紀80年代末期恢復原貌，重新修繕，周邊建成琉璃園，其歷史地位得以再現(xiàn)。近年來，國家重視傳承傳統(tǒng)工藝，挖掘地方傳統(tǒng)文化精髓，博山琉璃也不斷探索出路，振興產(chǎn)業(yè)，爐神廟傳統(tǒng)開始復興。

○博山琉璃，火的藝術。圖／袁會華The colored glaze of Boshan, the art of fire.

復興老廟傳統(tǒng)

經(jīng)過400多年的歷史變遷，昔日爐行醮會的壯觀景象已不見，爐神廟會依舊熱鬧。如今，博山的琉璃藝人們?nèi)栽跒閺团d爐神廟的精神文化價值而不懈努力著。

近年來，“中國石榴王(琉璃)”王乃寶、“中國孫氏琉璃雞油黃”孫即杰、“中國琉璃內(nèi)畫張”張廣忠等琉璃藝術大師拜師收徒儀式全部在爐神廟舉行，爐神廟逐漸成為復興琉璃工藝傳統(tǒng)的精神“根據(jù)地”。

現(xiàn)在，爐神廟迎來了一批又一批拜師學藝的年輕人，老師傅與徒弟們一起瞻仰女媧像，不忘傳統(tǒng)，與時俱進，推陳出新，精益求精，使琉璃藝術之火永續(xù)。

編輯/郭蓓蓓

Located at Colored Glaze Garden on the west bank of the Xiaofu River, the Furnace God Temple was built in the 39th year (1611) of the Wanli Period of the Ming Dynasty. Over four hundred years, the temple has been closely associated with the colored glaze culture of Boshan, and witnessed the ups and downs of the colored glaze industry of Boshan.

At the inauguration of the Furnace God Temple, the colored glaze production and development of Boshan had reached a certain scale. After the temple was built,the colored glaze industry of Boshan became increasingly prosperous. As one of the official furnaces in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Boshan became China’s largest colored glaze production base and product distribution center in that period,with products exported to over 100 countries and regions.

After the late Qing Dynasty, as the country was in turmoil and suffered continued wars, the people had no time to notice the colored glaze as decorative accessories. The colored glaze of Boshan declined for a time,and the Furnace God Temple gradually passed into silence. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the temple, which was used as a school and a printing plant, finally recovered and was renovated in the late 1980s,with a colored glaze garden built nearby. Then, its historical position was restored. In recent years, China has attached importance to inheriting traditional crafts, and exploring the essence of regional traditional culture.The colored glaze of Boshan has also continued to explore its way out, and shown signs of improvement. The tradition of the Furnace God Temple began reviving.

Nowadays, the colored glaze craftsmen of Boshan are making unremitting efforts to rejuvenate the spiritual & cultural value of the temple.Now, the temple has ushered in batches of young people who wish to learn some skills. The custom of accepting students in the revived temple is recording and inheriting the long-standing colored glaze culture.