The origin of woodcarving
ancient times
1. In Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China, during the investigation of Xinle Cultural Site, a woodcarving handicraft in the shape of a Peng bird was unearthed, estimated to be about 7200 years ago. At present, it is the earliest woodcarving handicraft in archaeological discovery.
2. 1977 A woodcarving fish was unearthed from Hemudu cultural site in Yuyao. It is estimated to be about 7000 years old.
Shang, Zhou and Warring States Period
1, Shang Dynasty
In the ruins of Shang Dynasty in Panlongcheng, Hubei, a very rare Yun Leiwen woodcarving was once unearthed. Some lacquerware, such as plates and boxes, unearthed from Taixi village site in Gaocheng, Hebei Province, has very exquisite carvings on its wooden tires.
2. Zhou dynasty
Lacquer wood unearthed in the Western Zhou Dynasty is generally incomplete and poorly preserved. In the Yan State Cemetery in Liu Lihe, Beijing, which belongs to the early Western Zhou Dynasty, the unearthed wooden tires, roes, pots, plates and reeds all have carved patterns.
3. Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Period
From the painted inner coffin unearthed from the tomb of Zeng Houyi in Suizhou City, Hubei Province, it can be seen that the Warring States period is a relatively prosperous stage of wood carving technology, and all kinds of carving technologies are relatively mature.
Qin and Han dynasties
The woodcarving cultural relics unearthed in the Western Han Dynasty and the Eastern Han Dynasty only include three-dimensional carvings such as wooden figurines, animals, vehicle and boat models and reliefs on wooden boards. Wooden figurines were popular in the Han Dynasty, and the earliest unearthed wooden figurines in the Western Han Dynasty were beautifully carved. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, most wooden figurines were about dancing, serving servants, pommel horses, livestock, poultry and other animals.
Tang song yuan
The Tang Dynasty was a period when all kinds of cultures in China flourished, and many cultures reached a peak. The woodcarving technology in the Tang Dynasty has been very exquisite, and it has developed to a higher level in the Song and Yuan Dynasties.
Ming and Qing dynasties
The Ming and Qing Dynasties can be said to be the period when woodcarving flourished and reached its peak. Carving techniques such as round carving, engraving and relief are flexibly combined and used, and decorative techniques such as closing and painting are added. Moreover, in the Qing Dynasty, the styles of woodcarving schools in various places gradually improved, showing a prosperous scene.
Woodcarving genre
Generally, the woodcarving schools in China are divided by regions. Basically, the woodcarving schools in each region have exquisite carving skills, and also condense local customs and have unique local characteristics.
There are many genres of woodcarving in China, including Dongyang woodcarving, Yueqing boxwood woodcarving, Quanzhou woodcarving, Guangdong Chaozhou Golden Lacquer woodcarving, Fujian Longan woodcarving, Beijing Palace Lantern, Taiwan Province woodcarving, Ningbo Zhu Jin woodcarving, Yunnan Jianchuan woodcarving, Shanxi woodcarving, Shandong Weifang mahogany root carving, Shanghai boxwood carving woodcarving, Liaoning Yongling birch woodcarving, Hubei woodcarving boat, Qufu open woodcarving, Suzhou red woodcarving and Shanghai red woodcarving.
Four Woodcarvings in China
Among these schools, the most representative ones are Dongyang woodcarving, Yueqing boxwood woodcarving, Chaozhou gold lacquer woodcarving in Guangdong and Longyan woodcarving in Fujian. These four woodcarving schools are also called the four woodcarving schools in China, among which Dongyang woodcarving is the first.
It can be seen that the woodcarving we see in our life now is the product of thousands of years of development, inheritance and wisdom.