What are the types of jade carvings?

As the saying goes, a good saddle goes with a good horse, and the same goes for jade. A good piece of jade can instantly increase in price several times when it meets a carving master, because the carving is so lifelike, just like the real thing. Let’s take a look at some of the famous carvers below!

When appreciating jadeite, one mainly considers three aspects: type, color and workmanship. Among them, the quality of jadeite craftsmanship has a great influence on the value of jadeite. If a piece of fine jade is carved very roughly and lacks any spiritual energy, then its price will inevitably be greatly reduced. On the contrary, an ordinary piece of jade, if it is exquisitely carved and its own flaws are effectively utilized, may greatly double its value.

As the saying goes “30% of jade is material and 70% of workmanship”, we can see how important the workmanship of jade is in the finished product of jade. Today, let’s talk about the “workmanship” of jade, hoping it will be helpful to all jade lovers.

What are the methods for processing jade?

First of all, we need to explain the jade craftsmanship from two aspects: on the one hand, we need to emphasize the exquisiteness of jade craftsmanship, and on the other hand, we need to emphasize the simplicity of jade craftsmanship. The two seem contradictory, but they are true at the same time.

Below I will talk about the most basic carving methods:

When choosing jade carvings, it will not be difficult if you understand the basic carving techniques. There are many kinds of carving techniques, the most common ones are: round carving, relief carving, chain carving, hollow carving, button carving, etc.

1. Relief

Relief, which is between round sculpture and painting, is a kind of sculpture carved on a flat surface with convex and concave images. It has various forms and can be three-dimensional or flat. It can be attached to a carrier or exist independently.

2. Round Sculpture

Round sculpture, also known as three-dimensional sculpture, allows viewers to see all sides of an object from different angles. It requires the sculptor to carve from seven directions: front, back, left, right, top, middle and bottom. It is the most basic technique in stone carving.

3. Chain carving

Chain carving is a highly difficult carving technique that involves carving a whole movable stone chain. It was first seen in the carving of jade artifacts. Chain carving has very high requirements on jade. The jade must be fine, pure, and hard. It is time-consuming and labor-intensive, and is mostly used for carving ornaments such as bottles and stoves. Therefore, it is not very common.

4. Button carving

Button carving refers specifically to the carving of the button decoration on the upper part of the seal. It also belongs to the category of round sculpture, but it is limited to the scale of the seal. The content of button carving is mostly animals in ancient legends, with a full sense of three-dimensionality.

5. Hollow Carving

Openwork carving is based on relief, but the background part is hollowed out, and various designs and patterns are carved on the carving carrier. Some are single-sided carvings, and some are double-sided carvings.

Learn the basic carving techniques! We also need to understand that there are three indicators for distinguishing the quality of carving: "clever, ingenious, and precise". "Color, type, and workmanship" are the rules for judging the quality of jadeite. Although workmanship ranks last, if the craftsmanship is exquisite, it can also greatly enhance the added value of jadeite.

Jadeite - Pretty

"Qiao" refers to the use of color, which is a test of the basic skills of the carving master. It is necessary to make full use of the colors of different parts according to the specific conditions of the color distribution of jade, so as to highlight the overall and unified artistic sense and complement each other.

Jadeite - clever

Cleverness, in fact, refers to the designer's unique ideas, as well as the clever and spiritual ideas that can maximize the advantages of jade and elevate the entire work to a higher level.

This process tests one's ability to grasp and control the jade raw materials. Only by fully understanding the type, water, color, structure, and size of the raw materials can one make the best design. This is the ingenuity of carving.

Jadeite - Fine

"Jing" refers to the exquisite craftsmanship. The best carvings are made up of countless details. The proportions of the ornaments, the straightness of the lines, the consistency of the expressions and facial features of portraits, etc., are all manifestations of exquisite craftsmanship.

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