玉石工藝會消失?
Will jade craft and its cultural heritage fade away?
小玉舍以 流 動工坊為賣 點，將 傳 統玉石製 作帶到不同市集。 Little Jadeite’s mobile workshop takes the gemstone manufacturing process to different market fairs to reach more customers.
談 父玉石的工藝，堅 持 手工 製 造，E d d y 也將工藝元素 運 用於 設計中。 Eddy’s father insists on making jade jewellery by hand. Similarly, Eddy incorporates elements of handicraft in the jewellery designs.
每 件首飾 都是 個 別 定 製，設計前 會 與 客人仔細 溝 通。 Each piece of design is custom-made through detailed conversation with the customer.
小玉舍的誕 生 源自長 沙 灣本土玉石手工藝 – 恆裕玉器，也 就是 E ddy 父 親的 街 檔。 Little Jadeite can trace its origin back to Hang Yue Jadeware; a local jade stall ran by Eddy's father in Cheung Sha Wan, Hong Kong’s traditional jade district.
小玉舍的 設計 走現代 路 線，把玉石變 成 簡約的幾 何化設計，深 受用家歡 迎。 Little Jadeite’s modern design turns jade gemstones into crowd-pleasing minimalist, geometrically shaped designs.
Meet Our Talents 選擇玉石，是子承父業，也是 對香港本土工藝、 文化 的 追 求，尋 找 設 計 與 傳 統 之 間 的 結 盟 關 係。2015 年於 香港理工大學設計學院修畢工業 及產品設計專業， 談浩然（ Eddy Tam ）一直 經 營其 畢 業作 — 品 牌 小玉舍（Little Jadeite ）。 「你 知 道 翡 翠 是 什 麼 嗎？它 跟 人 體 接 觸 後，為 何會 愈 來 愈 油潤、光滑？玉石與香港歷 史有何 莫 大的關 聯？」這 些 都是 他每 次 跟 客人說的玉 石故 事，因為 他 知 道一 個 好 的 設 計品 牌，目的 不只 是 為了生 意，而是 背 後 的 理 念 — 透 過 設 計，把 玉石年 輕 化、生 活 化，以一 個 更 貼 近 時 代的方 式在香港 延 續 下去。「香港城 市 節奏 急 速，快 得 連 舊 建 築 物 都 保留不下來。玉石雕 刻 這 種 傳 統 工 藝 和 非 物 質 文化 遺 產 若 沒 有人 延 續 下去，也會悄悄地消失。」
Eddy Tam followed his father’s footsteps and entered the jade trade in pursuit of authentic Hong Kong craft and culture, exploring the relationship between design and tradition. Within a year of his graduation from PolyU Design, Eddy launched his brand, aptly named “Little Jadeite” which he had created as his final year project at PolyU. The brand may well be in its infancy, however, what drove him to this project was anything but little. “Did you know what jade is? Did you know that once it comes into contact with the human body, jade becomes smoother and shinier? What is the relationship between jade and Hong Kong history?” These are topics that always come up when he told his customers about the story of this prized gemstone. He believes by making jade more relevant to modern life, the heritage could survive. “Even beautiful old buildings cannot save themselves from Hong Kong’s hustle and bustle, and I am afraid the intangible cultural value of a heritage craft in this metropolitan could easily be lost in history with few people shedding any tears.”
談浩然 Eddy Tam 小玉舍（ Little Jadeite ）的誕生源自長沙灣本 土玉石手工 藝 — 恆裕玉器。產品設計 師 談 浩 然，透 過小舍的 作 坊 設計，為玉器注 入 新的欣 賞態度，強調人與玉之間的聯繫，向大眾展現當 代玉器的嶄新 面 貌。產品除了保留玉器的自然 美，也希望打 破年輕一 代 普遍 認 為玉石是「古 舊」的看法，推廣玉石欣賞之道和工藝創造力。 Little Jadeite can trace its origin back to Hang Yue Jadeware, a local jade stall in Cheung Sha Wan. Product designer Eddy Tam brings out a new culture of appreciation from traditional jade jewellery as he makes jade relevant to people and their everyday lives. Little Jadeite’s products combine the natural beauty of jade with fresh contemporary looks, and in so doing, help to project a forward-looking image of jade that shatters the notion that the venerable gemstone belongs to past generations.
Facebook: LittleJadeiteHK www.littlejadeite.com
小玉舍的店 舖 和工作 室 選 址 於 長 沙 灣，地 方不 大，工 具、機 器、材 料 架 和 工作 桌 整 理 得 井 井 有條，Eddy 在 這 兒 為 客人 定 製 的首飾，從 玉石 採 購、銅 器 五 金 到、設 計、洽 談，都 是 自己 和 父 親、聯 同 拍 檔 三 人 分工合 作。長 沙 灣，其 實 也是父 親談 洲生 經營的玉石街 檔所在地，談 父 入行四十多年，Eddy 在 其 身邊看着玉石市場的 興衰和變 化。 「曾經，九龍廣 東道一帶，就是玉石市場，聚 集 了一批 早 年 從 中國 南 下的玉石師 傅、商人和 客 人，後 來 政 府將地攤 擺 賣 形式 規 範化，劃 成 舖 位 般 的 市 場 格局，沒有了昔日街 檔 的人情 味， 也 改 變了玉石業 的 生 態。我 父 親 那 年代，還 有 人 入行 學 藝，直 至 九七 年 後，本 地 玉石 市 場 已 沒有 批 發，只有 零 售，很 多師 傅 老了、退 休了， 便 沒有人接手。」 Eddy 在大學時修 讀 產品設計，不是珠 寶專業。
產品設計師的職業生涯，可以打工或當 Maker， Eddy 卻決 定創辦品牌，嘗試 以設計推 廣、實 驗
玉石的新想法。
Little Jadeite’s brick-and-mortar store and workshop is located in Cheung Sha Wan. Tools, machinery, shelves for raw materials, and the work platform are meticulously arranged. It is in this modest space where Eddy routinely procures jade gemstones, bronze and metal trimmings, turn them into custom-order jade jewellery and accessories, and meet with customers. Cheung Sha Wan is Hong Kong’s traditional jade business district. Eddy’s father, Tam Chow Sang, has run his very own hawker stall selling jade there for more than four decades. Providing Eddy with a front row seat to witness the rise and fall of the jade market and all its vicissitudes. “The area along Canton Road where jade tradesmen, merchants, and customers once gathered was later developed into the Jade Market. The Government turned the stalls into kiosks, and the market finally took shape, but the upgraded and presumably more mature market now means the businesses lack the intimacy of the old days. There was still new blood in the trade in my father’s generation, but after 1997, the wholesale jade business disappeared and only retailers remained. As many old masters retire, nobody is entering the trade to replace them.”
Trained as an industrial designer, Eddy was not specialised in jewellery design. The career path of the industrial designer is either to work as an in-house or become a maker. Eddy digressed from these usual routes and decided to start a brand that aims at promoting jade culture through design and experimentation.
位 於 長 沙 灣的工作 室 是 Eddy 製 作玉石的工場和 展示廳。 Little Jadeite’s studio is located in Cheung Sha Wan, equipped with workshop and showroom facilities.
需要 VS 想要
From Necessity to Extravagance
時 代 進 步，社 會、消 費 模 式也 隨 之 改 變，加 上
Times have changed, and so have consumer preferences and behaviours. Hong Kong people have quickly acquired a taste for Western-style jewellery, and young people are no longer interested in traditional jade jewellery. This business is slowly becoming extinct.
香 港 人 生 活 品 味 變 得 西 化，年 輕 人 對 傳 統 玉 石，都 採 取敬而遠 之的 態 度，令 這個 行業面臨 瀕 危 狀 態。「香 港 人不 需 要 玉器，卻又 想 要 玉 器，可 說 是一種情 意 結。礙 於 傳 統玉石形 象老 氣，現代 人 穿 戴 首飾 講 究 配 搭，之後才 會 考慮 文化 意 義。」說 罷，他 打 開 桌 前 的 木 盒，內 裏 掛 滿 了大 大小 小 的玉石，每 塊 顏 色、形 狀、紋 理 精 彩，有些 狀 如 雲 紋，跟印象中翠 綠 的玉石 不太一樣。 傳 統 玉 石 講 求 圓 潤，造 型 取 材 自 花 草 自 然 界 別，用於手鐲、戒指等等。小玉舍的設計則用上 銅 配 玉 的 碰 撞 效 果，製 成 富 現 代 感 的 頸 飾、 手環，幾 何造形、稜 角分明，更利用設計元素， 在 配 戴 時 讓 皮 膚 與 玉石 有 更 多 接 觸，甚 至 可 以 360 度 旋 轉玉石，增加玩賞 度。
In his creation, jade gemstones are embedded in brass frames, as touching is believed to increase the gemstone’s luminosity. In some designs, the gemstones may turn 360 degrees, and the wearer may playfully connect with the jewellery.
“Hong Kong people do not need jade jewellery, but they have not forsaken jade jewellery as their emotional attachment to this luxury item of the past. But the ‘old school’ feel of traditional jade does not seem to be the answer to contemporary consumer needs: the younger generations see accessories as style, rather than cultural identity,” Eddy says as he opens a chest replete with gemstones, of which the colours, shapes and marbling all vary greatly. Traditional jade gemstones are characterised by their appealing roundness and opulence, and they are cut and polished to the likeness of natural objects such as flowers and plants. Little Jadeite’s design, on the other hand, does not shy away from angular shapes and eye-popping figures.
香港的玉石市場，源自廣 東 道街 頭。小玉舍則以 擺 檔思 維，出現在 各大市集 擺 檔，吸引年青用家。 Hong Kong’s jade market originated on the streets of Canton Road in Kowloon. Taking this piece of history as inspiration, Little Jadeite promotes its brand among young people who frequent weekend fairs.
小玉舍的玉石設計分成三大類別︰「觸玉」、「想 玉」和「雙 玉」，目的不只是為了美 觀，而是 讓 人多接 觸、了解 和認 識玉石背 後的知 識 和欣 賞 方法。每次客人上門，Eddy 都會介紹他們也要去 附近談父的檔口，看看父親的作品。他自己也堅 持手工製作，繼承父親對工藝、質量的堅持。「我 總是提醒自己，要記得成立小玉舍的初衷。」 一年下來，小玉舍透過參加市集和臉書推廣，接 觸到不同的顧客羣。「我們的顧客來自不同年齡 層和背景，有年輕的，也有年長的。因為是個人 定製，我們會花多些時間跟他們傾談，成品也會 因應不同人的需要調整。然而，玉石有其限制， 要慢慢解說，讓人明白當中奧妙之處。」
There are three main lines in Little Jadeite's designs, namely, the Playjade, Imagination and Two Gems One Stone. The goal of the designs is not just to create beautiful items, but also to allow people to connect with, understand, and learn how to appreciate jade. Whenever customers come to the workshop, Eddy encourages them to v isit his father ’s stall too. Also, he insisted on making his jade jeweller y by hand, as a liv ing tr ibute to his father ’s long-standing commitment to quality and craftsmanship. “I have to remind myself every day of the original intent of founding Little Jadeite,” Eddy says. A year later, Little Jadeite has reached many customers through market fairs and Facebook. “Our customers come from different age groups and walks of life. Since each jewellery item is custom-made, we take the time to talk to them and make sure each piece suits the customer perfectly. Nonetheless, since jade gemstone has its design limitation, we also need to educate our customers. Through which, they will be able to understand the magic of jade.”
Made to Order 利 用現代首飾 設計，設計 師把玉石變 成 訂 製 為主的手鐲。 Using contemporary design, the jade gemstone becomes a trendy bracelet made to order.
Designing with Crafts 雙 玉，採 用分 色 工藝，由師傅 根 據玉石原形，利用分 色 技巧呈現 其 活 潑 的形 態，再 配 合 銅身設計成 頸 鍊等。 The Two Gems One Stone series is made with the colour separation technique. Based on the original shape of the gemstone, the craftsman underscores its fluidity. Then Eddy will design the necklace with a dotted brass frame.
相信創新傳承文化 「香港很少人做玉石，珠寶展覽的玉石屬於觀賞 類 別。大學最後一年的畢業習作，與導師 Rémi Leclerc 傾 談 時，讓 我 回 想 起 身 邊 的 父 親 和 他
的 玉石 工 藝。傳 統 的 工 匠 訓 練 是 專 注 於 匠 藝 之 上，設 計思 維 卻 可以 打 開 新 可能，嘗 試不 同 的 形 式，看客人會 有什 麼 反 應。我 們 不 能 夠只 從功 能角 度出發，更 多時 候 要 顧 及 其他 層 面， 如傳統文化、本土價值、如何與時代接軌等。 「設計師在創作的過程中，需要考慮許多東西， 不只 是 設 計品 本身，還 有 設 計 與 城 市、文化 和 生 活 之 間 的 關 係。這 種 思 維 運 用 於 傳 統 工 藝 時，可以 想像和 實 驗 更 多新可能 性，讓 傳 統 回 到現代生活中。」 香港工藝和香港 製 造，很容易就會 被標 籤 為懷 舊，或 成 為 以供 消 費的文化 符 號。對 於 小玉舍 來 說，這卻是一 個 與 設計思 維相 關的 命 題。他 相 信 香 港 不 應 該 只 停 留 在 昔日的 生 產 角 色。 Eddy 問：「為什麼 人家提 起 德國設計 會想起精
準，日本是簡約，那香港是什麼呢？」
Something New with Heritage “Very few people enter the jade trade, and those going to jewellery shows are only connoisseurs and collectors. While developing my final year project at PolyU, a conversation between my tutor Rémi Leclerc, reminded me of my father and his jade business. Traditional craftsman training is limited to techniques and craftsmanship, but design thinking leads one to other possibilities. Through experimentation with different new forms and shapes, we observe customers’ reactions. Besides function, we cannot afford to overlook other aspects such as traditional culture, local values, and how to connect with the times. “In the design process, designers take a lot of things into consideration: the product itself, as well as the intr icate relationship between design, city, culture, and life. When applying this mode of thinking in traditional crafts, there are many oppor tunities to which we can imagine and exper iment with to rescue tradition from modern life.” “Hong Kong Handicraft” and “Made in Hong Kong” could easily be labelled as signs of consumer culture or be consumed as a
nostalgic curio. To Little Jadeite, this is an issue related to design thinking. Eddy believes that Hong Kong should not stay in its former role as a manufacturer. He asked, “why do people associate German design with precision, and Japanese Design with simplicity? Then what do people think when they see Hong Kong design?”
Playfulness 玉石與 肌 膚的 接 觸，可以 愈 來 愈 油潤、通 透。配 合 設計，讓 用家在 佩 戴 時轉 動玉石，增加 欣 賞 角度和互 動。 Once it comes into contact with the human body, jade becomes smoother and shinier. The series embeds an entire jade gemstone in metal jewellery, so wearers can spin and touch the gemstone.
入讀設計學院，是因為…… 「我在 HKD I 修 讀 產品設計時，最擅長的就是工 業產品設計，能夠製作許多精美的電腦圖像，也 獲得獎項。入讀理大後，我發現這兒有來自不同 國籍、背景的學生、老師，各有不同的見解和設 計思維，學懂創作需要慢慢累積經驗、想法。」
最難忘的學習經驗是…… 「學 校 曾經 有一門 課 是 與 本 地 師 傅 合 作，參加 後才發現原 來在街 頭小 巷中，隱 藏了不少身 懷 絕 藝的本 地匠人，白鐵、水 喉匠、五金、木 工等 等。這 些看起 來 冷 酷的師傅，多點 跟他們 接 觸 後，就 會 發 現他們也有鐵 漢 柔情的一面。近 距 離了解 他 們 的工 藝 後，結 合 設 計，原 來 本土工 藝也可拼發 新可能。」
I chose PolyU Design because… “I was best at industrial product design when I studied design at HKDI. I was able to draw beautiful computer graphics and won awards for those. At PolyU Design, I met students and faculty who hail from different countries and backgrounds, and their different ideas and approaches to design thinking. What I learned is how to slowly distill my thoughts and accumulate experience.” My most memorable learning experience is… “I had the opportunity to collaborate with local handicraft masters in a PolyU Design course. I realised that in every nook and cranny, Hong Kong boasts many talented craftsmen who are among the best in their
trades, such as plumbers, carpenters, and metalsmiths. Though they appear distant and unapproachable in the beginning, they warmed up to the students quickly, and we learned a lot from them. They taught me that we do not need to look far for innovation, the answers can be found in the local craft tradition.”
Design can inspire people to enjoy and appreciate important things in life.
I l lu s t ra : B r a i n Re tion n t al
Issue #003
PolyU Design
Editorial: SD PRESS | Text: Ire Tsui | Images: provided by Eddy Tam | Translation: Alan Chan | Illustration: BrainRental www.polyudesign.com | Facebook: HK PolyU School of Design ©2017 The Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Design. All rights reserved.
Cees de Bont Dean of School of Design & Swire Chair Professor of Design, Alex Wong Siu Wah Gigi Wong Fook Chi Endowed Professorship in Product Design Engineering, PolyU