Linxia Brick Carving
01 · Historical Records
The Ming and Qing dynasties were the flourishing period of Linxia brick carving; after 1949 it fell into neglect for a time, and in the past twenty years it has enjoyed a revival.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Linxia County, in the Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, lies in the central and southwestern part of Gansu Province; it has been the unavoidable route from the Central Plains to Qinghai, Tibet and Sichuan since ancient times, and forms part of the world-famous Silk Road. Here Han, Hui, Tibetan, Dongxiang, Salar, Bao'an and Tu peoples live together, forming a distinctive and richly colourful folk culture. Linxia brick carving is a traditional architectural decorative carving of Linxia County. Brick-carving ornaments excavated from the brick-chamber tomb of Wang Ji, a junior officer of the Jin dynasty's Dading fifteenth year (1175), in the county were made of clay-kiln grey bricks, from which it can be judged that Linxia brick carving in fact originated in the Qin and Han dynasties and was an extension of the folk wood-carving technique of the time. Brick-carving products are mainly used to decorate temples, shrines, monasteries and convents and the deep courtyards of dwellings, generally in such positions as inner courtyards, gable walls, screen walls, corridor heart walls, red steps, stairways, lower sills, pedestal heads, sumeru pedestals and roof ridges; carved subject matter falls into categories such as natural scenery, social life, and decorative patterns rich in ethnic character. In the course of its development, Linxia brick carving absorbed the methods of such carving arts as wood carving, stone carving and jade carving, while also attending to integrating the artistic forms of expression of traditional Chinese painting, calligraphy, seals and poetry with the techniques of brick carving, forming a pluralistic artistic character that both preserves the plainness and simplicity presented by its distinctive material and displays diverse artistic features. The craft of Linxia brick carving is divided mainly into two kinds: modelled carving and incised carving. In modelled carving, various forms are first shaped in clay and then fired in a kiln; ridge beasts, fitted beasts and precious vases are mostly made in this way. In incised carving, a knife is used to carve on clay-kiln grey bricks; wall ornaments and steps in buildings are mostly made in this way. The technique of incised carving includes eight procedures: polishing, composition, carving, fine grinding, washing, numbering, joining and installation, and finishing. Its tools include folding rules, saws, planes, shovels, chisels and gravers, of which the shovels, chisels and gravers are further divided into several types — light and heavy, large and small, long and short, and narrow and broad, thick and thin in the blade edge — according to the requirements of the technique. Its carving techniques mainly include incised line carving, concave line carving, convex line carving, low relief, high relief, and openwork-style pierced relief. At present, the traditional brick-carving craft has lost its market; many practitioners lack the traditional brick-carving technique and basic artistic accomplishment; the craft of brick carving shows a serious 'generational break', and the modern production-line method of manufacture in separate segments will also lead to an inconsistency of style in brick-carving works, lacking individual expression and vivid spirit.
Modelled and cut carving
Modelled work shapes clay figures for kiln firing, while cut work carves fired grey bricks for wall panels and steps.
The eight stages
Cut carving runs through eight stages from grinding and layout to assembling and finishing, with chisels of many weights and widths.
Architectural placement
Pieces decorate temples and large residences, set into courtyards, gable walls, screen walls, steps, sills, plinths and ridges.
The Zhan school
Mu Yonglu has long carried on the Zhan school, founding a brick-carving company and training many pupils.
Carving techniques
Techniques range from incised line and concave line cutting to high relief and openwork, absorbing painting, calligraphy and seal art.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Linxia brick carving is transmitted in the area of Linxia County in the Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture of Gansu Province. Brick-carving ornaments excavated in the county from the brick-chamber tomb of Wang Ji, a junior officer of the Jin dynasty's Dading fifteenth year (1175), were made of clay-kiln grey bricks, from which it can be judged that Linxia brick carving originated in the Qin and Han dynasties. Han, Hui, Tibetan, Dongxiang, Salar, Bao'an and Tu peoples live together in the locality, and brick-carving subject matter combines natural scenery, social life and ethnic decorative patterns.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Brick Carving · Brick Carving.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
The principal inheritors of Linxia brick carving today include Zhou Jingde and Zhan Xueren. Under these circumstances, it is necessary to take concrete measures to rescue and protect the traditional craft of Linxia brick carving. Mu Yonglu (recorded in the official file of an associated inheritor): In long practice of the craft, he has fully inherited and carried forward the fine tradition of Linxia brick carving; his works are rigorously conceived, ingeniously composed, and elegant in style, with enduring charm. He has carved brick carvings for many famous buildings in various places; his representative works include the large brick carving 'Scenic View of the Longyuan Plain'. For many years he has devoted himself to the transmission and development of the 'Zhan school' of Linxia brick carving, taking the lead in founding the Hezhou Brick Carving Artware Company and taking on many apprentices, a number of whom have completed their training. Male, of the Hui nationality, born in December 1952, died in April 2018, a native of Linxia City, Gansu Province. A representative inheritor of the fifth national-level batch of intangible cultural heritage project Linxia brick carving.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Mu Yonglu 05-2612
- Ma Fengzhang 05-2613
- Bowenjun 05-2614
- Shen Zhanwei
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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