Ketong
01 · Historical Records
Raoyang copper engraving belongs to the northern branch of the art of copper engraving. Copper engraving is the art of carving calligraphy and painting on copper vessels. The southern craft is represented by Haining City in Zhejiang Province, relying chiefly on the hammer, chisel and punch, and is highly formalised; the northern craft is dominated by Beijing, excelling at deep cuts and repeated cuts that bite three fen deep into the copper and drive force through the whole body of the metal. Raoyang copper engraving inherited the legacy of the northern craft; after being introduced into the locality it combined with the local metalworking tradition, becoming a specialised technique of painting and calligraphy on copper in the central Hebei region.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Copper engraving is the art of carving calligraphy and painting on copper vessels. The southern craft, represented by Haining City in Zhejiang Province, relies mainly on hammering, chiselling and punching, and is highly formalised; the northern craft, dominated by Beijing, excels at deep cuts and repeated cuts that bite three fen deep into the copper and drive force through the body of the metal, possessing a magnificent beauty in which the force of the knife penetrates to the bone; it stays closer to traditional calligraphy and painting, reaching the realm in which "the carving is like writing" and even "the carving surpasses writing". In Raoyang copper engraving the technique is practised and the skill profound: holding a graver in the hand, the artisan engraves calligraphy and painting on copper vessels, using the knife in place of the brush and the copper surface in place of paper or silk, employing cutting styles that are at once forceful and seasoned, archaic and plain, unrestrained and delicate, and using punching, cutting, picking and scooping techniques, the copper and steel clashing with a resonant rhythm, to engrave works in intaglio (yinwen), relief (yangwen) and double-hook line engraving, with their contrasts of light and shade, solid and void, and "flying white" strokes. In technique Raoyang copper engraving draws on the finest points of flat relief, bamboo carving and seal carving. Its subjects are wide-ranging, gathering poetry, calligraphy, painting and seals into a single vessel; it both reproduces the original draft painting and possesses a rich flavour of bronze and stone — the unique charm of the art of copper engraving. Inheritors of profound skill can hold the graver and carve directly on the copper vessel without the aid of any other tool. Its subjects are wide-ranging: from the calligraphy and painting of famous masters to the ink traces of literati, from the love stories of gifted scholars and beautiful women to the friendships of merchants and gentry, and even the political careers of social luminaries — all can be engraved as designs. Related products include copper ink boxes, copper paperweights and copper table screens, as well as water vessels, incense burners, seal-positioning gauges and jewellery boxes. Raoyang copper engraving is an important component of China's traditional handicrafts and is of positive significance for inheriting and carrying forward the fine traditional culture of China. It is close to daily life, combining practicality and artistry; it is a fine object for collection and display, and adds interest to life.
Southern and northern schools
The southern school at Haining works by hammer and punch in set formulae; the northern school at Beijing cuts deep, driving the blade a third into the metal.
Writing with a blade
The art reaches the point where the engraving is still writing and even surpasses it; skilled hands cut cursive brushwork without any aid.
Striking, cutting, picking and gouging
Striking, cutting, picking and gouging produce intaglio, relief and double-outline line work with the dry and wet textures of brush painting.
Poetry, painting and seal in one vessel
Borrowing from flat carving, bamboo cutting and seal engraving, it sets poetry, painting and seal on one vessel, passing master to apprentice.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Geographically, it is divided into the southern craft and the northern craft.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Ketong · Ketong.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Raoyang copper engraving is transmitted mainly through the master-apprentice system. Its ornamentation both preserves tradition and reflects the information of the times; it is a recorder of social and historical change, and has high socio-cultural value.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Du Ping 05-2719
- Huang Junjun
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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