Stone Carving
01 · Historical Records
Jet carving originated in the early years of the 20th century, when the brothers Zhao Kunsheng and Zhao Jinglin explored continuously in practice and creatively developed this distinctive craft, which has been transmitted smoothly through oral teaching and personal instruction and has now passed through seven generations. Jet, also called "coal jade" (meiyu), is a natural resource unique to Fushun — jet-black and lustrous, hard in texture — providing an unparalleled material for carving.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Stone carving, also known as "stone engraving" (shike), is a traditional manual carving art that uses stone as its raw material. China's stone-carving art has a long history and has been passed down in an unbroken line over thousands of years to the present day, displaying the consummate technique, ingenious conception and abundant creativity of traditional folk craftsmanship. Stone carving is generally carried out on natural stone materials such as marble, granite, bluestone and sandstone, and in the process the carver must employ a series of practised folk carving techniques, including round carving (yuandiao), relief carving (fudiao), openwork carving (toudiao) and line engraving (xianke). Because these stone materials are taken from nature and can be preserved for a long time, stone carving is mostly used to make large-scale sculptures and decorative sculptures. According to their use, stone-carving products fall mainly into three categories: first, architectural components and ornaments, such as pedestals, memorial archways and stone lions; second, images of deities and Buddhas, such as the statues in the Yungang Grottoes of Shanxi and the Longmen Grottoes of Henan; and third, everyday articles that are both decorative and practical, such as table ornaments and inkstones. Traditional stone carving uses tools such as axes, hammers and chisels; in modern times more advanced implements such as glycerine gunpowder and simple machinery began to be adopted. With the development of society, stone-carving craftsmanship has steadily improved, and related products circulate widely on the market as distinctive goods, possessing an artistic charm all their own. Jet carving is a folk carving art unique to the city of Fushun in Liaoning Province; it uses locally produced jet as its raw material and may be called one of a kind. Jet, also called "coal jade" (meiyu), is a natural resource that is jet-black and lustrous and hard in texture. The origins of jet carving can be traced back to the early years of the 20th century, when the brothers Zhao Kunsheng and Zhao Jinglin explored continuously in practice and eventually creatively developed the distinctive craft of jet carving. Under their oral teaching and personal instruction, the art of jet carving in Fushun has been transmitted smoothly and has now passed through seven generations. Jet-carving products come in three major categories — figures, animals and plain wares (su huo) — with more than two hundred varieties and a great diversity of styles. To suit the characteristics of the material itself, jet carving has developed a distinctive series of techniques and processes, including chopping, shovelling, sweeping, snatching, grinding, polishing, rolling, pressing, hacking, planing, drilling and rubbing. Fushun jet carving, with its marked regional character, organically blends traditional Chinese culture with the culture of the northern region, displaying an uncommon level of craftsmanship and possessing considerable value for artistic research.
Jet, the coal jade
Jet, called coal jade, is a hard, glossy black mineral unique to Fushun and the material of this carving.
Chopping, shovelling and scraping
To suit the material, carvers developed chopping, shovelling, scraping, rolling and drilling methods across some two hundred product types.
The Zhao brothers and seven generations
The craft began with the brothers Zhao Kunsheng and Zhao Jinglin in the early twentieth century and has passed through seven generations.
Plain work
The plain work category covers vessels and objects without figures, alongside the figure and animal types.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Jet carving takes Fushun in Liaoning as its sole place of production and centre of transmission. Its works come in three major categories — figures, animals and plain wares (su huo) — with more than two hundred varieties and a great diversity of styles. To suit the characteristics of the material, craftsmen have developed a distinctive series of techniques, including chopping, shovelling, sweeping, snatching, grinding, polishing, rolling, pressing, hacking, planing, drilling and rubbing, blending traditional Chinese culture with the culture of the northern region.
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04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Fushun jet carving has marked regional character and an outstanding level of craftsmanship, and possesses considerable value for artistic research. Because the raw material is limited, being tied to the mining of the coalfield, and because the process steps are numerous and the apprenticeship period is long, few people today can master the craft in full, and its transmission and protection urgently need to be strengthened.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Qian Gaochao 03-1272
- Gongbaocaidan 03-1273
- Wang Guoqing 05-2657
- Cao Mingzhu 05-2658
- Tang Jun 05-2659
- Shi Yongen 05-2660
- Yang Jianming 05-2661
- Bao Wuwen 05-2662
- Yuan Jiaqi
- Liu Nengfeng
- Wang Shilin
- Ye Meisan
- Yin Guoan
- Hu Yang
- Liangbinggong
- Caidanjia
- Chen Jiwu
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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