Chen Yinfu
01 · Lineage & Regional School
Chen Yinfu, Male, Han, from Yanchengshidafeng, Jiangsu, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Porcelain Carving (Ⅶ-135). The tradition is documented in Yanchengshidafeng, Jiangsu. Within the regional tradition and school record of Porcelain Carving in Yanchengshidafeng, Jiangsu: It is an important project for advancing rural revitalization and helping local people prosper, and is of positive significance for promoting local economic development and maintaining social harmony. It began during the Tongzhi reign of the Qing dynasty and has a history of more than a century; its core transmission area is now Dafeng District, Yancheng City, Jiangsu Province, and it also radiates to Yandu District, Dongtai City, and Sheyang County of Yancheng.
02 · Mastery & Signature Works
The bearer record for Chen Yinfu is anchored in the documented technical standards of Porcelain Carving in Yanchengshidafeng, Jiangsu. Within the documented technical tradition of Porcelain Carving in Yanchengshidafeng, Jiangsu: Dafeng porcelain carving is a traditional fine-art form in which porcelain pieces serve as the carrier and steel chisels and an iron hammer are the main tools; chiseling the porcelain produces a chipping effect, reproducing the texture of the artistic image on the surface of the porcelain body. Among the people of Dafeng there has long been the custom that, when a family holds a wedding or a funeral, neighbors and relatives lend bowls and small cups to the host family for the occasion. To distinguish the ownership of the bowls and cups, each family carved its surname or a special mark on their bases; later, some people carved flowers, plants, animals, and human figures on the walls of the bowls and cups, and Dafeng porcelain carving was born and spread from this. Making full use of the distinctive texture of the porcelain itself, and using specially made knives and fine chiseling, Dafeng porcelain carving skillfully combines chiseling strokes of differing depth, spacing, and length—coarse and fine, void and solid—so that the texture of the image is reproduced on the surface of the porcelain, giving the work a unique formal composition and aesthetic effect; it is thus called 'embroidery on porcelain'. Its craft process mainly comprises six steps: design, transferring the draft, carving, applying color, finishing, and decoration. Of these, carving is the core step and demands extremely high precision; the retention of porcelain must be exact, so that the texture of the image in the work matches the design draft seamlessly, true to life. Dafeng porcelain carving has both the free and untrammeled charm of brushwork in calligraphy and painting and the strong appeal of metal and stone carving; its technique is unique, its style distinctive, and it stands alone, full of fascination—a porcelain-carving art that incorporates printmaking, Chinese painting, oil painting, calligraphy, seal carving, and many other artistic styles, with extremely high artistic value. Making full use of the distinctive texture of the porcelain itself, and using specially made knives and fine chiseling, Dafeng porcelain carving skillfully combines chiseling strokes of differing depth, spacing, and length—coarse and fine, void and solid—so that the texture of the image is reproduced on the surface of the porcelain. Chisel points arranged in lines form tonal surfaces; as the spacing of the points grows denser, light and shade emerge, so its layering is determined entirely by the size and density of the points. The steel chisel and iron hammer must be used with differentiated force: light chiseling yields fine lines, while heavy chiseling produces the 'fish-roe' chipping of the broken porcelain. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Archival Records of Process Steps": Its craft process mainly comprises six steps: design, transferring the draft, carving, applying color, finishing, and decoration. "The borrowed bowl and its owner's mark": Bowls lent for weddings and funerals were marked with a surname on the foot; marks later spread up the wall to become figures, flowers and animals. "Chipping and the tool marks": Steel chises and a hammer chip the glaze, so tone is produced by the size and spacing of the struck points rather than by pigment. "Representative works": Works on overseas calls, endless homesickness and the Père David's deer have entered museums and been presented as state gifts.
Archival Records of Process Steps
Its craft process mainly comprises six steps: design, transferring the draft, carving, applying color, finishing, and decoration.
The borrowed bowl and its owner's mark
Bowls lent for weddings and funerals were marked with a surname on the foot; marks later spread up the wall to become figures, flowers and animals.
Chipping and the tool marks
Steel chises and a hammer chip the glaze, so tone is produced by the size and spacing of the struck points rather than by pigment.
Representative works
Works on overseas calls, endless homesickness and the Père David's deer have entered museums and been presented as state gifts.
03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status
In 2025, Chen Yinfu was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Porcelain Carving, with Yanchengshidafeng, Jiangsu as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Porcelain Carving in Yanchengshidafeng, Jiangsu: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2021 (batch 5), with Yanchengshidafeng, Jiangsu as its declared area, and Yancheng Dafeng District Cikeshijiagongyi Factory as its safeguarding unit. Since the project was inscribed in the national inventory, its declared area and safeguarding unit have carried out documentation, transmission and presentation within the national safeguarding framework. Together, the inventory record and the project archive form the public documentary basis for the bearer’s transmission practice.
04 · Associated Heritage Item Dossier
Historical origin
It began during the Tongzhi reign of the Qing dynasty and has a history of more than a century; its core transmission area is now Dafeng District, Yancheng City, Jiangsu Province, and it also radiates to Yandu District, Dongtai City, and Sheyang County of Yancheng.
05 · Fellow National Bearers Lineage
National representative bearers recorded under the same item code, ordered from the first to the sixth batch. Batch order is not a teacher–student relationship.
| Bearer | Declared area | Roster code | Relation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chen Yinfu | Yanchengshidafeng, Jiangsu | — | This page |
06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography
This static English edition is rendered at the edge for search engines, AI crawlers and readers without JavaScript. Compiled from official national representative bearer archival records and the associated project dossier, organized by topic and translated into English. 阅读中文版。