Jadeite with leather carving, an alternative kind of “stinginess”!

The skin of jade is mostly very rough and ugly, and is even more useless than scraps. However, some jade carvers are so "stingy" that they will not let go of even the most worthless skin, thus giving birth to a unique carving method, skin carving .

This is a fist-sized piece of window-covered material. The emerald green color of the window is particularly eye-catching. The surface is covered with a thick skin, which has the nature of gambling. After repeated discussions and weighing, experts judge that the green is concentrated in the window part. For this situation, the common way of dealing with it is to discard the "useless" parts and take out the greenest part to make the egg-shaped surface.

But for those who pursue jade carving, there are different considerations. Not only should the value of the material be maximized, but jade should also be given spirituality and connotation.

With this idea in mind, the jade carver began his design and creation. Based on his understanding of the material, he chose the theme of cicada molting "breaking out of the cocoon and being born".

In the eyes of the ancients, the cicada is a sacred creature and a symbol of purity. Designing the cicada to climb on a branch undoubtedly fits this point.

Cicada rough carving

Due to the difference in leather color, color matching is an indispensable skill in leather carving. In addition, the most difficult part of this work is the hollow carving extending inward.

Especially when performing in a space the size of a fist, it tests not only superb craftsmanship but also patience. Especially as you progress, the carving tools become more difficult to use, and every step is thrilling.

The main part is basically completed

For jade carving, the depiction of details is also crucial. The carving of the green leaves is especially meticulous, with the extension and direction of the leaves being carved into a wrapped shape like a dead leaf, while the details of the meridians and wormholes inside are also portrayed vividly.

Finished product: "Rebirth" by Zhang Qinglan

It's like a sleeping stone that wakes up after being carved. The green part of the main body is carved as a cicada, which seems to have broken out of a cocoon and crouched on a green leaf. The skin is carved to look like dead leaves and old branches wrapped around it. The combination of movement and stillness, and the contrast between the old and the new, symbolizes the birth of new life, so it is named "Rebirth".