Tibetan Engraved Block Printing Technique
01 · Historical Records
The emergence of the Boluo Guze block-engraving craft is closely related to this religious culture; it originated in the fifteenth year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing (1676), initiated by the twelfth Dêgê tusi (native chieftain) and sixth Dharma King, Qoji·Dembaciren, and is mainly transmitted in Boluo Township, Jiangda County, Qamdo Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Tibetan religious culture and art have a long and distant history. At that time Dêgê and Baiyu County in Sichuan and Jiangda in Tibet were all under the jurisdiction of the Dêgê tusi; because Buddhism flourished, the woodblock carving craft serving the printing of Buddhist scriptures and patterns developed as never before, which in turn promoted the prosperity of the Boluo Guze block-engraving craft. Throughout the Qing dynasty, Tibetan tusi and dzongpon (district heads) expended enormous manpower and resources to collect historical documents and sectarian canonical texts from various disciplines, printing them by relatively primitive plate-making and block-carving methods, and produced tens of thousands of woodblock carvings in monasteries. More than 80% of the printing blocks in the famous Dêgê Printing House (Parkhang) of Sichuan were made in Boluo Township. The Boluo Guze block-engraving craft is extremely superb. In making a block, a famous Tibetan calligrapher first writes the block's text, which is then strictly proofread by two or more people. After proofreading, a special liquid is used to print the text onto the wooden board, which is then dried in sunlight. A carving artisan then copies and engraves it following the original; once carved, it must pass twelve strict proofreadings to ensure no errors, after which butter broth is brushed on and it is aired to dry, then cinnabar pigment is applied after drying, and finally a decoction made from an anti-insect plant is used to soak and wash the block before it is handed to workers for printing.
Carving within the Dege domains
Buddhism's spread across the Degelords' territory made the carving of texts and images a growth industry, and Boruguzai led it.
Printing by the chieftains and abbots
Throughout the Qing, chieftains and abbots pooled labour and materials to print the classics of every school of thought.
Tibetan paper and ink
The paper, made from Daphne and agarwood, is tough enough for repeated printing, and ink is adjusted at the press as the sheet absorbs.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Tibetan block-printing craft is most concentrated at Boluo Guze in Jiangda County, Tibet Autonomous Region. At that time Dêgê and Baiyu County in Sichuan and Jiangda in Tibet were all under the jurisdiction of the Dêgê tusi; because Buddhism flourished, the woodblock carving craft serving the printing of Buddhist scriptures and patterns developed as never before, which in turn promoted the prosperity of the Boluo Guze block-engraving craft. Throughout the Qing dynasty, Tibetan tusi and dzongpon expended enormous manpower and resources to collect historical documents and sectarian canonical texts from various disciplines, printing them by relatively primitive plate-making and block-carving methods.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Degeyinjingyuancang Engraved Block Printing Technique.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Duoji Dengci (per the official archive of the associated inheritor): male, Tibetan, born April 1924, a native of Jiangda County, Tibet Autonomous Region. He is a representative inheritor of the Tibetan block-printing craft (Boluo Guze block-engraving craft), a national-level intangible cultural heritage project of the third batch, and a Boluo Guze block-engraving technician. From 1932 to 1947 he learned the woodblock carving craft in Adang Village, Boluo Township, Jiangda County, under his father, and afterward followed his father in traveling around Ganzi, Aba, Nagqu, Shigatse, and other places to carve printing blocks for scriptures. Around 1952 he took part in the restoration and carving of the "Tengyur" (Danjur) and "Kangyur" (Ganjur) scriptures at the Dêgê Printing House. The scripture blocks he carved are highly distinctive of the ethnicity, and his Buddha-figure carving in particular is unrivalled. The ornaments and decorative patterns on the blocks are exceptionally fine, all revealing a unique and superb carving technique. Zepu (per the official archive of the associated inheritor): male, Tibetan, born April 1963, a native of Jiangda County, Tibet Autonomous Region. He is a representative inheritor of the Tibetan block-printing craft (Boluo Guze block-engraving craft), a national-level intangible cultural heritage project of the fifth batch, and a Tibetan block-printing technician. In 1978 he studied woodblock carving at the Dêgê Printing House for five years. From 1983 onward he carved scripture blocks in Amdo County of Nagqu, Tibet, Dêgê of Sichuan, and other places. Now every winter he carves scripture blocks in Chongsang Village, Boluo Township of his county, and teaches young people the woodblock carving craft. He has been engaged in block making for over forty years and is able to handle the work independently. He has successively taught over two hundred apprentices, many of whom have become outstanding block-making technicians. Around 1992, together with other carvers, he took part in the restoration and carving of scripture blocks at the Dêgê Printing House, winning the recognition and high praise of local people.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Pengcuozeren 01-0192
- Duojidengci 03-1338
- Zepei 05-2776
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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