Stone Carving
01 · Historical Records
The history of Jiaxiang stone carving is concretely attested by a succession of treasured stone carvings and engravings, including the stone carvings of the Wu family tomb cluster of the Eastern Han dynasty, the Sui dynasty stele of the third year of the Kaihuang reign, the stone Buddha of the Later Tang of the Five Dynasties period, and the imperial stele of the Qianlong reign of the Qing dynasty. Over thousands of years, Jiaxiang has produced renowned stone-carving families represented by the Liang, Du and Xu clans, whose skills have been passed down from generation to generation through family and master-apprentice transmission.
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. Jiaxiang stone carving is a traditional carving art transmitted in the Jiaxiang area of Shandong Province. Jiaxiang stone carving has a long history and splendid achievements, as is concretely attested by the succession of treasured stone carvings and engravings found in the locality, including the stone carvings of the Wu family tomb cluster of the Eastern Han dynasty, the Sui dynasty stele of the third year of the Kaihuang reign, the stone Buddha of the Later Tang period of the Five Dynasties, and the imperial stele of the Qianlong reign of the Qing dynasty. The techniques of Jiaxiang stone carving are numerous and intricate, including round carving, relief carving, openwork carving, line carving, flat carving and shadow carving (yingdiao), among other carving styles. It uses locally produced sky-blue stone (tianqingshi) as its principal raw material, with marble, granite and hanbaiyu (white marble) as supplementary materials, carving them into works in numerous forms, such as figure statues, stone qilin, stone lions, stone steles, stone tables, stone pagodas, stone pavilions, dragon pillars, large memorial archways and archaistic vessels. The forms are dignified and stately, the lines straight and forceful, and the bearing grand and magnificent, displaying the typical style of the northern school of Chinese stone carving. In the course of transmission over thousands of years, Jiaxiang has produced a number of renowned stone-carving families represented by the Liang, Du and Xu clans. At present, under the influence of modern civilization, the traditional craft content of Jiaxiang stone carving is gradually declining, and the artistic character of its works is continually changing as a result; if it is not rescued and protected in time, this outstanding folk craft with its long history will face a crisis of extinction.
The Wu shrine carvings and later treasures
The Eastern Han Wu family shrine carvings, the Sui stele of 583, a Later Tang stone Buddha and a Qianlong stele testify to Jixiang's long carving history.
Bluish limestone and the northern style
Using local bluish limestone, Jixiang carvers produce figures, lions, steles, pagodas and archways in a monumental northern style.
The Liang, Du and Xu carving houses
Over the centuries the Liang, Du and Xu families became Jixiang's hereditary carving houses, working in round, relief, openwork and line carving.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Jiaxiang stone carving uses locally produced sky-blue stone (tianqingshi) as its principal raw material, supplemented by marble, granite and hanbaiyu (white marble). Its products include stone qilin, stone lions, stone steles, stone tables, stone pagodas, stone pavilions, dragon pillars, large memorial archways and archaistic vessels. Its techniques include round carving, relief carving, openwork carving, line carving, flat carving and shadow carving, among others; the forms are dignified and stately, the lines straight and forceful, and the bearing grand and magnificent, belonging to the typical style of the northern school of Chinese stone carving.
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04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
In recent years, under the influence of modern civilization, the traditional craft content of Jiaxiang stone carving has gradually declined, and the character of its works has continually changed; the locality still retains workshops and a body of craftsmen of considerable scale, but if it is not rescued and protected in time, this outstanding folk craft with its long history will face a crisis of extinction.
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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