Wood Carving

Ⅶ-58Traditional Fine ArtsQufu, ShandongBatch 2 (2008)Newly Added Item

01 · Historical Records

The kaishu (Chinese pistache) trees used in kaidiao carving grow in the Nishan and Fangshan areas of Qufu; the wood is tough, fine and dense, with a grain like a painting. Legend has it that after Confucius died, his disciples built huts to keep watch at his tomb and carved pistache wood into staffs; thereafter pistache wood was called “wenkai” (the pistache of culture) and became a material for honoring Confucius. Since the Tang and Song dynasties kaidiao has been used for sacrificial vessels in the Confucius Temple and as gifts; in the Ming and Qing dynasties it entered the ranks of tribute and gift articles presented by the Dukes of Yansheng of the Kong family to emperors, generals, ministers and high officials.

02 · Core Techniques & Process

Kaishu wood carving, also called “kaidiao”, is a traditional carving art popular in Qufu City, Shandong Province, with a history of more than two thousand years. It carves the rare pistache tree, unique to the locality, as raw material, and through long practice has gradually formed a distinctive artistic character. Historically, the finest kaidiao has been exceptionally precious, serving as tribute or gifts presented by the Dukes of Yansheng of the Kong family to emperors, generals, ministers and high officials. Kaishu wood carving has many forms, including circular carving, relief, openwork and pierced carving; the entire craft process consists of more than a dozen steps. Traditional products center on longevity staffs and ruyi scepters; today the range has grown to nearly a hundred varieties, and it can carve images of Confucius as well as figures, flowers, birds and beasts, and can also make stationery and writing implements. Kaishu wood carving has a plain and simple knife style and exquisite, refined workmanship; its forms are dignified and weighty, with both form and spirit captured, possessing a national bearing and regional character. At present, ensuring the further transmission and development of this special craft on its existing basis is the main task of the Qufu kaishu wood-carving trade for the coming period.

The pistacia tree and the name “literary kai”

Carved from the locally distinctive pistacia, kai wood carving developed its own artistic character over a long period of practice.

Longevity staffs and ruyi sceptres

Traditional products were longevity staffs and ruyi sceptres; today nearly a hundred kinds are made, from Confucius figures to birds, beasts and stationery.

Round, relief, pierced and openwork carving

Using round, relief, pierced and openwork carving across more than a dozen stages, the craft is plain and simple in cutting yet dignified in form.

Yan Jingxin's Confucius

The fifth-generation Yan-family carver Yan Jingxin fuses calligraphy, painting and seal carving into his work; his Confucius is a unified and imposing image.

03 · Regional Records & Related Items

Kaishu wood carving is distributed mainly in the urban area of Qufu City and around Nishan and Fangshan. Practitioners are mostly local Qufu artisans, among whom the Yan family lineage is the most representative transmission. Traditional products center on longevity staffs and ruyi scepters; today the range has grown to nearly a hundred varieties, which besides supplying the Kong family mansion, the Confucius Temple and the local tourist market are also sold as gifts to other provinces.

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04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding

Yan Jingxin (recorded in the official archive of associated inheritors): Male, Han ethnicity, born in June 1936; a native of Qufu City, Shandong. Senior craft artist, master of arts and crafts of Shandong Province, and fifth-generation heir of the Yan family's kaidiao tradition. His creation blends calligraphy, painting, seal carving and kaishu wood carving into one, forming his own artistic style; his works are vivid in form and fine in cutting — plain and elegant in the old style, novel in conception and graceful in charm. His representative work “Confucius” is a seamless, vivid and commanding image. He values the theoretical elevation of practical experience, committing his creative insights to writing. He emphasizes the transmission of technique and founded a studio to teach his third son Yan Shiwei and his apprentices. Representative inheritor of the third national-level batch of the wood carving (Qufu kaishu wood carving) intangible cultural heritage project. He has made more than three hundred kaidiao works, of which over fifty have been exhibited at home and abroad, and many have won national and provincial prizes.

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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