Yediao
01 · Historical Records
Records of Hainan coconut carving already appeared in the Tang dynasty; during the Ming and Qing dynasties coconut carvings were presented to the imperial court as treasures, earning the reputation of a tribute product from the far south. Since the mid-20th century, the coconut carving craft has improved further while carrying on its traditions.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Hainan coconut carving is a traditional carving art that uses coconut shell, coconut wood, and coconut fiber (coir) as raw materials; it is found mainly in Hainan. Hainan abounds in coconuts, producing over 99 percent of the national output; this resource advantage has provided uniquely favorable natural conditions for the emergence and development of Hainan coconut carving. Coconut carvings come in many kinds, including both everyday utensils and ornamental craftworks; the finished pieces are incised with exquisite decorative patterns, and the crafting technique is highly refined. Carving on coconut shell, wood, and fiber is inexpensive and can turn waste into treasure, embodying the principle of making the best use of everything. Coconut carving carries strong local character and a rustic flavor; the related skills are easy to popularize and well suited to promotion as a household handicraft project, so as to raise farmers' income and address employment. Hainan coconut carving is a traditional carving art that uses coconut shell, coconut wood, and coconut fiber as raw materials, found mainly in Hainan. Hainan abounds in coconuts, producing over 99 percent of the national output; this resource advantage has provided uniquely favorable natural conditions for the emergence and development of Hainan coconut carving. The basic process steps of coconut carving are: taking the material and drying it in the sun, sawing it into a blank, scraping the fiber clean, tracing the draft design, shallow-incising or relief-carving the pattern, drilling and hollowing out, sanding and water-polishing, and hot-coloring and burnishing; coconut-shell pieces often have their inner wall hollowed out first to reduce weight, while coir pieces are shaped with cord knots before being edged.
The tribute of the southern sky
Recorded as early as the Tang and tribute to the court in the Ming and Qing, coconut work earned the name of tribute of the southern sky.
Shell carving, wood carving and palm work
Working the shell, the wood and the palm separately — carving, turning and plaiting — Hainan builds a distinctive household repertoire from a single tree.
Everyday and ornamental products
Its range spans daily utensils and ornamental pieces alike, all finished with fine decorative patterns and steadily refined since the mid-twentieth century.
Local material, easy to teach
Because the raw material is free and the technique easy to learn, coconut carving suits household workshops that supplement income and employment.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Hainan coconut carving is found mainly in Hainan, most densely in and around Haikou. Hainan abounds in coconuts, producing over 99 percent of the national output, and coconut shell, wood, and fiber are readily at hand, which makes the craft extremely easy to spread; in recent years the Longhua District of Haikou has developed coconut carving into tourist goods and a household handicraft project, and small items such as coconut-shell bowls and coir brushes can often be seen being made on the spot in the streets.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Carved on coconut shell, wood, and fiber, the craft is inexpensive and can turn waste into treasure, embodying the principle of making the best use of everything; it carries strong local character and a rustic flavor, and the skills are easy to popularize and well suited to promotion as a household handicraft project to raise farmers' income and address employment. Since the mid-20th century the craft has improved further on the basis of tradition, with works expanding from everyday vessels to decorative display pieces, and it has repeatedly won prizes at domestic and international exhibitions; the Longhua District Culture Center of Haikou is the project's protecting unit, regularly running hands-on classes and organizing coconut-carving activities in schools.
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)
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