“Good jade does not need carving” or “Good jade goes with good craftsmanship”? You will know after watching it

There has been a long-standing debate over the two views on jade carving: "Good jade should not be carved" and "Good jade should be carved with good workmanship." Should good jade be carved? Today I will share the process of transforming an originally "uncarved" pendant into a carved piece of "White Tara". Do you think it looks better without or with carving?

The material is a piece of free-form jadeite Qingshui Wu Shi pendant. The material is very moist and thick, and the water quality and base color are first-class, so the owner directly drilled a hole to make it into a free-form jadeite pendant to wear. However, after a period of time, I always felt that the plain work of making wooden plaques was monotonous, so I came up with the idea of ​​creating carvings.

Since it is going to be a sculpture, it is inevitable to make the shape neat and round. It is a good idea to remove the edges and corners of the material so that it looks like a water drop and customize it into the Tara image that has been popular in recent years.

Grinding removes the polished surface of the material to make it easier to design the head of White Tara on the material with an oil pen: she wears a crown of flowers and vines, large hoop earrings, a wisdom eye printed on her forehead, her eyes are tightly closed, her appearance is solemn, and the bottom is embellished with flames. The simplest lines outline the most vivid image of White Tara.

The jade carver uses negative and positive carving to determine the shape to reduce material waste; and uses shallow carving to outline the pattern of Tara's crown and the shape of the flame. The carving is exquisite and delicate, and the patterns are clear and vivid, perfectly combining the natural beauty of the material with the exquisite carving.

After the face was opened, Tara became vivid and lifelike, with facial features arranged in reasonable proportions, and details such as eyebrows, eyeliner, lip line, etc. clearly outlined. Her expression was natural and solemn, and her face had a slight smile, kind and amiable, which fully displayed the image of Tara's great compassion.

So, for this fine jade with a clear water background, which one looks better as an uncarved Wu Shi Pai or as a carved “White Tara”?