Shoushan stone

Chinese Folk Art: Shoushan Stone Carving

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
World China Net - Translated from Chinese Edition of The Epoch Times - Sep 06, 2004
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shoushan stone, produced in Shoushan Township in the northern suburb of Fuzhou City, is one of China's three most famous stones. The stones are known for their fine texture, multicolours and carveability. There is an old saying about the legendary Nuwa repairing the heaven with stones. Nuwa hid the remnant coloured stones in the Shoushan Mountain, which later became the Shoushan Stones. According to another legend, in the ancient times, a five-coloured phoenix stopped at Shoushan Mountain; wherever she went, lardite was produced, which was smooth and greasy. The eggs that the phoenix laid became Shoushan stones.

The Shoushan stones are flawless beauties. There are more than 100 kinds of Shoushan stones which are classified as Tiandeng, Shuikeng and Shankeng. The art of Shoushan stone carving dated back to 1500 years ago. Shoushan stone carving is a folk art found in Fujian province of China. Shoushan stones are excavated from the Shoushan village on the northern outskirts of Fuzhou city. The stones have a fine stable texture and have been used by local craftsmen to make all kinds of handicrafts. Shoushan stones have beautiful and rich colors. Some are as white as jade, others are fresh yellow and still others have startling colors. Tianhuang stone is the main source of traditional seals. Ink stones are the top grade with a yellow color, whole, clear and transparent.

Shoushan stone carvings have been found among the funerary objects dating back to the Southern Dynasty. During the Tang Dynasty there was a variety of locally produced handicrafts using Shoushan stone, such as a small image of Buddha, an incense burner and a rosary. Stone workshops in the Song Dynasty carved Shoushan stone into ancient figurines. In the Ming and Qing Dynasty, after being carved and polished, Shoushan stone was turned into splendid seals that scholars collected. Some seals were carved into animals, protruding flowers and plants, insects and fishes and side scenes. Among these superb craftsmen were Yang Ji of the Late Ming Dynasty and Zhou Bin of the Early Qing Dynasty. They were very good at carving seals.

Shoushan stone carving includes art depictions of various shapes. These are seals, ashtrays, stationery, vases, crab baskets, grapes, fingered citrons and litchi. Stone carvings undergo elaborate designing and processing. Generally speaking, stone carving begins with determining the natural nature of the stone being carved.

The carving theme is based upon the shape, the texture, the grain, the color and hue of the object. Next outlines are made for carving spots on this raw stone. Then they make the cuts and shapes of the semi-finished product. The stone is finally turned into a handicraft through refining, embroidering, polishing and waxing.