Bamboo Carving

China, the hometown of bamboo, boasts the richest resource of bamboo forest in the world, hence its title as the “kingdom of bamboo” and it is also one of the first nations to use bamboo. Since ancient times, bamboo has been widely used in the daily life of the Chinese people, and it has great influence on the development of Chinese history and culture.

Bamboo formed the earliest ties with Chinese characters, which can be traced back to 6,000 years ago. The pictographic symbol of “bamboo” was found on the potteries unearthed in the Yangshao cultural relics of Banpo Village, Xi’an in 1954, and the symbol was also discovered in oracle bone inscriptions and inscriptions on ancient bronze objects. During the period from the Warring States Period to the Jin Dynasty, people carved characters on bamboo slips to keep records. Later, books made of bamboo slips were created to convey cultural information. Many of the earliest Chinese historical documents, such as The Book of History, The Book of Rites and Analects of Confucius, were recorded on such material, making great contributions to the development of Chinese culture. After the papermaking technique was invented by Cai Lun, bamboo slips were replaced by paper gradually.

Bamboo slips can be regarded as the earliest form of bamboo carving. Although bamboo slips were replaced with the development of papermaking technology, bamboo carving was still loved by people and is still today. Very few bamboo carvings pre-dated the Ming Dynasty, but mid-Ming-Dynasty bamboo carvings have become a professional industrial art, and more and more artists have taken it up, shifting its role from practical use into an art form.

Chinese carving is a precious artistic heritage in Chinese industrial arts and it benefits enormously from the four types of carving, that is, jade carving, stone carving, wood carving and bamboo carving. With the importing of other elements from other countries, Chinese carving is sure to have a bright future.

Wood carving in Song and Yuan Dynasties

The period of the Song Dynasty was marked by great economic development, contrary to the insecurity which kept shaking the reign of the Southern Qi Dynasty.

However, it was in 1271 in Kublai, when a descendant of Genghis Khan founded the Yuan Dynasty. Initially, he made Dadu the capital of the dynasty, as the territory of Dadu back in time is the well-known up-to-date Beijing.

Moreover, the development of the art of wood carving during the reign of the Yuan and Song Dynasties is marked by the fascinating way some of the painters turned towards painting the wood carved masterpieces.

The unique, rare, and exceptional gilt and polychrome wood figure of Guanyin, China, Song dynasty (960-1279). The figure was offered in the Asian Art sale 2 years ago and was estimated to cost USD 213,717 – USD 320,576 – Image Source

Chinese wood carving

Chinese wood carving is an ancient art form that has been practiced for centuries. It is a form of decorative art that involves carving and shaping wood into intricate designs and patterns. Chinese wood carving is a highly skilled craft that requires a great deal of patience and skill. The art of Chinese woodcarving has been passed down through generations and is still practiced today. Chinese wood carvings are often used to decorate furniture, buildings, and other objects. They are also used to create sculptures and other works of art. Chinese wood carving is a beautiful and unique art form that is sure to add a touch of elegance to any home or office.

Table of Contents

1. An Ancient Craft of Timeless Beauty
2. A Guide to Traditional Tools and Techniques
3. Traditional Chinese Wood Carving Process
4. How to Identify Authentic Chinese Wood Carvings
5. The Different Styles of Chinese Wood Carving
6. The Benefits of Chinese Wood Carving for Home Decor
7. The Different Types of Chinese Wooden Carvings
8. The Benefits of Collecting Chinese Wooden Carvings
9. The Best Places to Buy Chinese Wooden Carvings
10. Conclusion

Four Chinese Wood Carving Major Schools

Throughout its long history, Chinese wood carving has undergone various changes and developments.

Along with time, the carving techniques have also evolved, allowing the wood craftsmanships to become even more elegant and beautiful. However, even with its long history, we can categorize Chinese wood carving technique into just four major schools:

1. Dongyang Wood Carving

Dongyang is the most popular and most commonly used technique in Chinese wood carving.

Very famous for its overall elegance, and every carving produced by the Dongyang artisans has really high quality. The Dongyang technique was passed down from generation to generation, maintaining the Dongyang carving quality to stay as one of the best even until today.

Dongyang carving is based on plane relief, and the design adopts mainly bird’s eye and scatter perspectives, along with other compositions to produce unique carving designs. With these combinations of various compositions, Dongyang carving products are full of details and rich with their depths, giving a mesmerizing feeling for those who viewed them.

2. Boxwood Carving

Boxwood carving technique focused on making full use of the natural characteristics of boxwood with its subtle grain and relatively light color for wood material. Boxwood is also tough and smooth with fine textures and has been used to make combs since during the Tang and Song dynasties period, and initially, the boxwood technique was focused on carving fine texts on small ornaments.

Entering the modern era, however, the Boxwood carving technique has increased in popularity and is widely regarded as the technique with the highest difficulty and artistic value. In the hands of a master Boxwood artisan, the carving can look translucent and exquisite.

3. Chaozhou Wood Carving

Although the Chaozhou wood carving technique doesn’t possess Dongyang’s high level of detail or the artistic intricacy of Boxwood, Chaozhou is a unique school with its unique qualities.

The carving as well as the depth of the sculpting, are carefully designed to accommodate the gold foil. This way, once the wood is layered with gold, we’ll be able to see more details and beauty out of the carving.