Chaozhou Wood Carving
01 · Historical Records
Shantou woodcarving has a long history, beginning in the Tang dynasty and flourishing in the Ming and Qing dynasties.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Chaozhou woodcarving has a long history: the Kaiyuan Temple in Chaozhou, built in the twenty-sixth year of the Kaiyuan era under Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang dynasty (738), already contains woodcarving works from the Tang dynasty. The woodcarving techniques of Guangdong are mainly concentrated in the Chaozhou, Shantou, and Jieyang area, and were historically known collectively as "Chaozhou woodcarving". Chaozhou woodcarving is exquisitely crafted, and together with boxwood carving, Dongyang woodcarving, and Fujian woodcarving it is known as one of the four great woodcarvings of China. It is renowned at home and abroad for its wide range of subjects, full and rounded compositions, fine and detailed carving, multi-layered openwork, and resplendent gilded splendor. Jieyang woodcarving usually exists in the form of ornament or structural components on buildings, furniture, and vessels used for worship, and is often adorned with gold lacquer or painted decoration. Its subjects are wide-ranging, most often depicting flowers, birds, insects, and fish, as well as historical legends and operatic stories that people delight in hearing. Carving techniques include sunk carving, relief carving, openwork carving, round carving, and tuodi carving, with openwork carving the most highly developed. Jieyang woodcarving generally adopts a flexible modeling approach, using sensuous, dynamic lines and planes: arcs, curves, and the convex and curved surfaces they generate make up the forms. The compositions are full, the layouts evenly balanced, and the knife work intricate yet never disorderly, expressing a beauty of rhythm and cadence. Jieyang woodcarving is also called "gold-lacquer woodcarving". In its production, a rough blank is first chiseled out of camphor or fir wood, then finely carved, after which it is polished, coated with layer upon layer of lacquer, and finally covered with gold leaf, achieving a resplendent gilded artistic effect. It has a wide range of applications and rich subjects: folk legends, figures of ancient and modern times, flowers, birds, insects, and fish, birds in flight and beasts on the run, river and sea creatures, and dramatic stories are all among its common subjects. Shantou woodcarving boasts many renowned masters, and its works have won awards repeatedly in national competitions. At present, the development of Chaozhou woodcarving is obstructed. Because practitioners earn very little, few young people are willing to learn the craft; all the craftsmen still living are over fifty years of age, and a situation of having no successors has already emerged. Unless it is rescued without delay, its prospects are cause for concern.
From Tang to Ming and Qing
The craft began in the Tang and flourished in the Ming and Qing; Kaiyuan Temple of 738 preserves Tang wood carving.
One of the four great wood carvings
Alongside boxwood, Dongyang and Fujian carving it ranks among China's four great wood-carving traditions.
Ritual ware and gilding
Local carving appears on buildings, furniture and ritual vessels, usually finished with gold lacquer or polychrome.
Sunk, relief and openwork
Sunk, relief, openwork, round and undercut carving are all practised, openwork being the speciality.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Shantou woodcarving has a long history, beginning in the Tang dynasty and flourishing in the Ming and Qing dynasties; together with the woodcarving of Chaozhou and Jieyang, it falls under the name "Chaozhou woodcarving" that was used collectively in history. The woodcarving techniques of Guangdong are mainly concentrated in the Chaozhou, Shantou, and Jieyang area. Shantou woodcarving boasts many renowned masters, and its works have won awards repeatedly in national competitions. The Shantou Municipal Society of Arts and Crafts, as the protection unit, undertakes work such as documenting the techniques, organizing materials, and arranging transmission and teaching.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Chaozhou Wood Carving · Chaozhou Wood Carving.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Shantou woodcarving mostly uses camphor wood and similar timbers. Its subjects cover folk legends, figures of ancient and modern times, flowers, birds, insects, and fish, birds in flight and beasts on the run, river and sea creatures, and dramatic stories, and its carving techniques include sunk carving, relief carving, openwork carving, round carving, and tuodi carving. Chaozhou woodcarving, together with boxwood carving, Dongyang woodcarving, and Fujian woodcarving, is known as one of the four great woodcarvings of China, and is renowned at home and abroad for its wide range of subjects, full and rounded compositions, fine and detailed carving, multi-layered openwork, and resplendent gilded splendor. At present, all the craftsmen still living are over fifty years of age; unless it is rescued without delay, its prospects are cause for concern.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Li Denong 01-0101
- Chen Peichen 01-0102
- Guliuxi 04-1786
- Chen Defeng
- Jin Zisong
- Lin Hanxuan
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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