Jade Carving

Ⅶ-57Traditional Fine ArtsZhenping, HenanBatch 2 (2008)Newly Added Item

01 · Historical Records

The origins of Zhenping jade carving can be traced back 4,500 years: carved objects made of Dushan jade were excavated from the Longshan cultural layer at the Anguo city site within the county. Thereafter the tradition continued through successive dynasties, and since the Ming and Qing dynasties growing numbers of people in the Shifosi and Chaobi areas took up jade carving as a trade. By the mid-20th century a pattern had formed in which jade-carving factories and specialized villages coexisted, and after the reform and opening-up period it developed into one of the country's most important jade processing and distribution centers.

02 · Core Techniques & Process

Zhenping jade carving is a folk jade-carving technique passed down in Zhenping County, Nanyang City, Henan Province. Mount Du in Nanyang produces the renowned Dushan jade, also called “Du jade”, one of China's “four famous jades”, distinguished by brilliant color, good transparency and high hardness. Dushan jade has a long history of extraction, and carving based on it can be traced back to the Longshan cultural layer at the Anguo city site 4,500 years ago. Besides Nanyang Dushan jade, Zhenping jade carving also widely uses Xiuyan jade from northeast China and imported jade materials from abroad. By technique, Zhenping jade carving comprises two major types: figured work (huahuo) and plain work (suhuo). Incense burners, revolving braziers, birds, beasts and female figures all belong to figured work, which employs complex knife techniques, fine carving and novel forms. Rings, bracelets, earrings and necklaces belong to plain work, whose making pays particular attention to the color and texture of the jade material. Zhenping jade carving inherits tradition and draws widely on the strengths of others, forming the technical character of “figured work achieves wonder through technique, plain work displays nobility through color”. Among all its products, the inner-carved and openwork pieces represented by the “multi-layered revolving ball”, the “nine-dragon revolving incense burner” and the “mandarin duck revolving-heart pot” are distinctive in character, of exquisite craftsmanship, renowned at home and abroad, and have become model works of Zhenping jade carving.

Dushan jade among China's four famous jades

Dushan jade from Nanyang, bright in colour, translucent and hard, is one of China's four famous jades, worked as early as the Longshan layer at Anguocheng.

“Flower work” and “plain work”

By technique the craft divides into elaborate “flower work” — censers, revolving vessels, birds, beasts and beauties — and “plain work” such as rings, bracelets and pendants.

Revolving balls, nine-dragon censers and mandarin-duck pots

Hollow-carved and pierced works such as multi-layer revolving balls and turning-core vessels are the most celebrated products of Zhenping jade carving.

Wu Haizhou and the use of colour zones

The national inheritor Wu Haizhou exploits hollow and pierced carving and the stone's colour zones to preserve the natural beauty of Dushan jade.

03 · Regional Records & Related Items

Shifosi Town in Zhenping County is the technical center, while Chaobi, Yangying and other townships, as well as areas around the county seat, host numerous workshops and factories. Besides Nanyang Dushan jade, the raw materials also widely include Xiuyan jade from northeast China and imported jade; finished products circulate through the Shifosi jade market to all parts of China and overseas.

Other submitting regions for the same item: Jade Carving · Jade Carving · Jade Carving · Jade Carving · Jade Carving · Jade Carving.

04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding

At present, because jade-carving technique is complex and difficult to master, Zhenping jade carving lacks successors and urgently needs protection and transmission. Wu Haizhou (recorded in the official archive of associated inheritors): Male, Han ethnicity, born in March 1958; a native of Zhenping County, Henan. He excels in the design and creation of jade figures, flowers and birds, landscapes, animals, as well as censers and incense burners; he can make full use of inner carving, openwork carving and high and low relief to employ skillfully the natural colors and grain of the jade material, preserving the natural beauty of Dushan jade to the greatest extent and enhancing the artistic charm of his works with unique ideas. While inheriting traditional jade-carving technique, he boldly explores jade design, creating new works that possess both traditional style and the flavor of the times. He has served as deputy director of the Zhenping County Jade Carving Bureau, director of the Zhenping Jade Culture Museum, and honorary principal of the Zhenping Arts and Crafts School, actively teaching, promoting and spreading Zhenping jade-carving technique. Representative inheritor of the third national-level batch of the jade carving (Zhenping jade carving) intangible cultural heritage project.

05 · Associated Representative Bearers

Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:

06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography

Sources

China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)

Read the official ihchina.cn record ↗

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