Porcelain Carving
01 · Historical Records
It began during the Tongzhi reign of the Qing dynasty and has a history of more than a century; its core transmission area is now Dafeng District, Yancheng City, Jiangsu Province, and it also radiates to Yandu District, Dongtai City, and Sheyang County of Yancheng.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Dafeng porcelain carving is a traditional fine-art form in which porcelain pieces serve as the carrier and steel chisels and an iron hammer are the main tools; chiseling the porcelain produces a chipping effect, reproducing the texture of the artistic image on the surface of the porcelain body. Among the people of Dafeng there has long been the custom that, when a family holds a wedding or a funeral, neighbors and relatives lend bowls and small cups to the host family for the occasion. To distinguish the ownership of the bowls and cups, each family carved its surname or a special mark on their bases; later, some people carved flowers, plants, animals, and human figures on the walls of the bowls and cups, and Dafeng porcelain carving was born and spread from this. Making full use of the distinctive texture of the porcelain itself, and using specially made knives and fine chiseling, Dafeng porcelain carving skillfully combines chiseling strokes of differing depth, spacing, and length—coarse and fine, void and solid—so that the texture of the image is reproduced on the surface of the porcelain, giving the work a unique formal composition and aesthetic effect; it is thus called 'embroidery on porcelain'. Its craft process mainly comprises six steps: design, transferring the draft, carving, applying color, finishing, and decoration. Of these, carving is the core step and demands extremely high precision; the retention of porcelain must be exact, so that the texture of the image in the work matches the design draft seamlessly, true to life. Dafeng porcelain carving has both the free and untrammeled charm of brushwork in calligraphy and painting and the strong appeal of metal and stone carving; its technique is unique, its style distinctive, and it stands alone, full of fascination—a porcelain-carving art that incorporates printmaking, Chinese painting, oil painting, calligraphy, seal carving, and many other artistic styles, with extremely high artistic value. Making full use of the distinctive texture of the porcelain itself, and using specially made knives and fine chiseling, Dafeng porcelain carving skillfully combines chiseling strokes of differing depth, spacing, and length—coarse and fine, void and solid—so that the texture of the image is reproduced on the surface of the porcelain. Chisel points arranged in lines form tonal surfaces; as the spacing of the points grows denser, light and shade emerge, so its layering is determined entirely by the size and density of the points. The steel chisel and iron hammer must be used with differentiated force: light chiseling yields fine lines, while heavy chiseling produces the 'fish-roe' chipping of the broken porcelain.
Archival Records of Process Steps
Its craft process mainly comprises six steps: design, transferring the draft, carving, applying color, finishing, and decoration.
The borrowed bowl and its owner's mark
Bowls lent for weddings and funerals were marked with a surname on the foot; marks later spread up the wall to become figures, flowers and animals.
Chipping and the tool marks
Steel chises and a hammer chip the glaze, so tone is produced by the size and spacing of the struck points rather than by pigment.
Representative works
Works on overseas calls, endless homesickness and the Père David's deer have entered museums and been presented as state gifts.
Five recorded generations
Begun in the Tongzhi era and handed on master to pupil for five recorded generations, it now spreads from Dafeng to Yandu, Dongtai and Sheyang.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
It is an important project for advancing rural revitalization and helping local people prosper, and is of positive significance for promoting local economic development and maintaining social harmony.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
The works of Dafeng porcelain carving cover many types, including table ornaments, standing screens, and hanging screens; representative works such as Transoceanic Phone Call, The Homesickness That Never Burns Out, and The King of the Milu Deer are mostly collected by museums or presented as state gifts to foreign leaders. Dafeng porcelain carving is transmitted mainly through master-apprentice succession; its clearly documented lineage of generational relationships has reached the fifth generation.
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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