Chinese carving art

With a time-honored history, Chinese carving art has survived and thrived in its long development process. Due to prominent cultural differences, Chinese carving art varies greatly from its counterpart in the West. Objects such as figures, animals, plants or landscapes are delicately carved by artists.

Chinese artists demonstrate their talents and creativity on a range of raw materials from stone, tooth, horn, root, and bamboo to paper. Carvings were originally done on bamboo before artists adopted other materials to carve on. Many of these works have become national gems.

Bamboo Carving

Bamboo, pine and plum, called the "three good friends in the cold years," have always been popular among people, including poets, artists and handicraftsmen. The common bamboo gives a sense of transcendent beauty, and collecting bamboo carvings has been the hobby of Chinese people for a long time.

Horn Carving

Generally speaking "tooth and horn carving" refers to objects carved out of animal teeth and horns, and in the circle of collectors, it refers specifically to works carved out of ivory and rhinoceros horns. Ivory is naturally beautiful, white and soft, and is therefore very exquisite and full of artistic charm; Rhinoceros horn carving is famous for its rarity and great value.

Tibetan Folk Carving

Large in number, exquisite in materials and elegant tastes, Tibetan folk carving has been well known for centuries. The dozens of primordial rock painting s found in scarcely populated valleys are the works of Tibetan ancestors, also known as the first batch of artworks found on this land.

Tooth Carving

Tooth carving, one of traditional Chinese cultural essences, is an important part of China's industrial arts. Tooth carving has a long history in China. As early as the Paleolithic Age, Shandingdong people living in Zhoukoudian Village carved decorative articles out of ivory and used them as burial articles.

Paper-carving

Also known as Chinese exquisite paper-cut, Chinese exquisite paper-carving is an exotic flower in the world of Chinese folk art. The art has a long history in Leqing, and reportedly it has been said to have some connections with the "Dragon-boat lantern".

Qingtian Stone Carving

Qingtian stone carving is one of the most famous handicraft works Three Carvings and One Statue of China. It originated in Qingtian of Zhejiang Province, a county reputed as the Hometown of Chinese Stone Carvings. With beautiful modeling and refined craftsmanship, Qingtian stone carvings are loved by many people and reputed as the Embroidery on Stones.

(Source: chinaculture.org)