How many of the top ten carving techniques for jadeite do you know?

Jade carving is a unique skill in my country. It has a long history, exquisite craftsmanship, and diverse styles. It is known as the "wonderful work of oriental art" and is well-known throughout the world. During the thousands of years of development, our excellent jade carvers have created many unique jade carving techniques. Generally speaking, there are ten types. As the inheritor of Chinese jade culture, jadeite naturally inherited these carving techniques. Next, let’s learn about the top ten techniques of jade carving.

Jadeite openwork works

1. Round Sculpture

Also known as three-dimensional sculpture, it refers to a non-compressed three-dimensional sculpture that can be appreciated from multiple directions and angles. Since round sculptures are extremely three-dimensional, they require the sculptor to carve from all directions: front, back, left, right, top, middle, and bottom, and the selection of jade materials is also relatively strict. The content of the round sculpture can be people, animals, or still life, but it is not suitable for depicting natural scenes.

2. Relief

It refers to shaping or carving an image on a flat base plate. The outline of the image is similar to that of a painting, with varying degrees of concavity and convexity. It is not restricted by form and is mainly appreciated from the front. The biggest difference from round sculpture is that relief uses compression to deal with objects. According to the different degrees of compression of space, relief can be subdivided into shallow relief, medium relief and deep relief. Each of the three has its own characteristics and is wonderful.

3. Openwork

Also known as hollow carving, it is a further development of relief carving. It is a carving technique that hollows out the background part based on the relief. The purpose is to make the outline of the carved image clearer and make the work reflect the exquisite and delicate artistic effect. Openwork carving adds layers to jade carvings, with patterns and scenery interlaced up and down, and scenery at different distances. However, the craftsmanship is complex, the production is difficult, time-consuming and labor-intensive, but the artistic effect is the best.

4. Internal carving

It refers to carving two or three layers of still life inside and outside a piece of jade. It is a relatively complicated craft and jade carvers call it a "unique skill". From the Republic of China period to the early years of the People's Republic of China, due to limited tool conditions and the lack of jade carving skills, the art of inner carving has been blank. After the 1970s, jade carving artists explored inner carving techniques and achieved groundbreaking results. His works include the “Colorful Bat Basket” designed by Li Hongcai. There are two bats carved inside the basket, looking out. Other works are spherical objects with three or four layers inside, each layer carved with scenes or patterns, and can be rotated for appreciation, which can be regarded as a masterpiece of jade carving.

5. Thread combination

Apply industrial threads and assembly technology to jade carving crafts, this is a thread combination. Large jade carvings became popular after the 1980s.

6. Applying Art According to the Material

The primary technique in jade carving is to apply art according to the material. Jade carving is a craft creation and has no fixed shape. Jade carving requires imagination and injection into the jade, and it cannot be modified. Therefore, each piece of work needs to start from the material properties, shape, color, etc., to maximize the use of jade materials. Especially in the creation of figures, birds, flowers, and animals, it is necessary to design according to the material and find a unique way. Jadeite Color Works

7. Turn flaws into strengths

Jade is created by nature and inevitably has more or less flaws, so there is a saying in the industry that "jade cannot be considered jade without flaws." Flaws are taboo in jade, but as jade resources are becoming increasingly scarce, in order to make full use of the jade, the carving technique of "turning flaws into virtues" was developed. The works created through this technique not only do not affect the appearance, but are more vivid and lifelike, achieving an artistic effect that cannot be achieved with ordinary materials.

8. Remove dirt and knots

Dirt and cracks are taboos in jade products. To remove impurities in jade, one must remove impurities to make it purer and brighter; to remove cracks, one must remove natural cracks in jade, and then design according to the shape of the material. Moreover, during the jade carving process, impurities and cracks may appear on the jade body again or multiple times, which requires the designer to think hard to remove or "cover" the impurities and remove the knots and change the shape. Jade carvings are shaped in five steps, with dirt and knots removed. Although this is not a good idea, it can have a "blessing in disguise" and create a creative effect.

9. Smart use of waste materials

The purpose of cleverly utilizing waste materials is to cherish jade resources, reduce the cost of works, and create jade carvings with the same or higher value than finished jade materials. Especially when making full use of non-renewable jade resources, the "clever use of waste materials" is even more valuable.

10. Clever use of color

Color matching is a carving technique commonly used in the jade carving industry. It refers to using the natural color and texture of jade to perform carving that is suitable for the jade material. As a special form of jade carving, Qiao Se can achieve harmonious unity between the shape and dark color of the work, making the work more vivid and lifelike, giving people a lifelike and vivid feeling, and is deeply loved by people all over the world.

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