Among the four major schools of jade carving, which one do you like?

Type, water, color and workmanship are the four basic elements for measuring jadeite. The type, water content and color of a piece of material are natural factors that cannot be changed later. Only the craftsmanship has the greatest flexibility. Whether the color, type and water can be reflected to the maximum extent, whether the value of jade can be increased, what kind of material needs what kind of labor, etc., all these are very important. my country is a vast country with abundant resources and great economic and cultural differences between the north and the south. Folk art works such as jade carvings often reflect the local cultural characteristics. Therefore, jade carving in my country is divided into several major schools, and different schools represent the different local cultural customs.

Suyang Engineering

Suyang jade carving has a long history. From small pieces to mountains, Suyang craftsmanship has been outstanding in modern times. The characteristics of Su craftsmanship are its profound heritage and rich classical charm. Su craftsmen usually use the method of carving with one side in relief and the other side in yin-yang carving. The relief works of Suzhou craft have smooth lines, steady knife skills, and free-flowing outlines of depth and shallowness, giving the relief images a strong three-dimensional sense. Su craftsmanship pursues ingenuity and integrates Chinese and Western art.

Sugong masters are all experts in imitating antiques, and many of them have many years of experience in copying ancient sculptures. From Su Gong's works, we can appreciate the rich traditional cultural connotations and the author's own feelings. As the saying goes, "Objects carry the truth and jade cultivates virtue", Su Gong really did it. But Su Gong also has its shortcomings. The first is to choose the material. Not all materials can produce stable results. Sometimes you will be surprised, and sometimes you will be shocked. Second, for those who lack experience in jade processing, especially when the material itself has certain defects that need to be compensated, Sugong may not be a good choice.

Jieyang Engineering

When it comes to Jieyang craftsmanship, one word can sum it up: "precision". The "precision" of Jieyang craftsmanship can be reflected in the following three aspects. The exquisite Jieyang craftsman will never sacrifice the details for the sake of the whole. If there are defects in the large items, the Jieyang workers will make smaller items instead. If there are defects when making small pieces, then change to making egg-shaped pieces. In short, Jieyang workers’ near zero tolerance for defects has created Jieyang workers’ golden signboard.

“I never tire of fine food and I never tire of delicate minced meat” is not only used to describe cooking, it is also suitable to describe Jieyang workers. No matter how small the item is, the craftsmen in Jieyang will never tire of carving it, even carefully carving each strand of hair and grinding each drop of water. The requirements for the rigorous Jieyang construction method are quite strict. For example, when making a Buddha statue, no matter how good the material and water content of the jade are, the Jieyang craftsmen have to dig on the back to adjust the water.

If you compare carefully, you will find many similar details. The rigor and high degree of uniformity of Jieyang craftsmanship in details make the jadeite processed in Jieyang recognizable at a glance. The shortcomings of Jieyang workers are consistent with their characteristics. The processing specifications, like a standard operating procedure, not only keep the Jieyang processing industry as a whole at a very high level, but also restrict the hands and feet of jade carvers. Being too conservative and not innovative enough, Jieyang craftsmen lack boldness and spirit, but have more craftsmanship.

Ruili Engineering (Yunnan Engineering)

To be honest, the craftsmanship of Yunnan workers is indeed excellent. Thanks to the participation of a large number of carving masters from Fujian and Guangdong, abundant supply of raw materials and the influence of local customs and practices, Yunnan craftsmen have made great breakthroughs in the form and content of carving compared to traditional craftsmanship. The characteristics of Yunnan Engineering mainly include the following aspects:

Rich themes and unique style: Yunnan craftsmen are not limited to Guanyin Buddha in character creation, nor are they limited to flowers, birds, insects, herbs and auspicious animals in decorative pieces, which greatly enriches the shape of jade.

Great processing: Thanks to the relatively low price of raw materials and sufficient supply, large pieces made in Yunnan are generally very stylish. However, don't expect Yunnan craftsmen to make small exquisite flower pieces. Delicate work is not something that Yunnan workers are good at.

Natural beauty: This is the most important and distinctive feature of Yunnan University.

Yunnan craftsmen's pursuit of art is to retain as much of the original material as possible during the processing process in order to maintain the natural charm of the jade. Then the craftsmanship is integrated into the shape of the material itself. Instead of using the craftsmanship to press the material, Yunnan craftsmen like to find the best way to combine the two for processing. Disadvantages of Yunnan craftsmanship: In the process of pursuing the unity of work and material, sometimes some small defects and minor problems of the material are intentionally or unintentionally ignored. That is, for the sake of the whole, Yunnan craftsmanship will sacrifice some parts to achieve the effect of "sacrificing the self to complete the self".

Four Associations

Sihui craftsmanship has absorbed the stone carving techniques of the Fujian region (Fujian craftsmanship originally came from wood carving), and has taken the route of "small, fast and flexible". "Small" refers to the processing cost. Sihui workers take the civilian route, giving priority to cost. The workmanship in Sihui aims to resemble the original in spirit, but many details are saved as much as possible. The jade products made by Sihui craftsmen have obviously fewer details than those made by Jieyang craftsmen. The benefits of doing this are obvious. It saves a lot of time and labor costs, and later polishing is also easier to handle.

"Fast" refers to fast processing speed. Sihui carving masters win by quantity, on the one hand to make money, on the other hand to help customers save processing costs. In addition, this also greatly shortens the cycle from raw materials to finished products of jade, facilitating faster circulation of funds. The biggest feature of Sihui craftsmanship is “spirituality”. The so-called "flexibility" refers to the flexibility of processing and the agility of the finished product.

Sihui workers are the least picky about materials. No matter what kind of material it is, it can come alive after being manipulated by Sihui masters. Sihui craftsmen pay the most attention to highlighting their strengths and avoiding their weaknesses. During processing, they will try their best to cover up the defects of the jade, and at the same time they will also try their best to highlight the advantages of the material. Maximizing the cost-effectiveness of the material is always the first priority of Sihui craftsmanship. So, how can we enhance the decorativeness of jadeite while giving up some details and retaining some flaws? The answer given by the masters in Sihui is Shen Yun. Therefore, Sihui craftsmanship has a vivid vitality in it, and the so-called "vivid and lifelike" describes Sihui craftsmanship very well.

Each school has its own characteristics, and it is only through the combination of various carving techniques that the traditional Chinese craft can be brought to such full potential.

fcgc66

fcpf18