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| Arts & Crafts |
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This
hollowed-out chicken coop testifies to the exquisite
craftsmanship of Shoushan stone carvers.
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Shoushan Stone Carving Shoushan stone is a kind of alabaster
quarried from a mountain called Shoushan in the northern suburbs
of Fuzhou. With a soft, smooth surface and variegated colours,
this stone makes an ideal material for carving. We know from
the sculptured stone pigs found in an ancient tomb from the
Southern Dynasties that Shoushan stone carving has been in existence
for some l,500 years.
The stone carvings of the later Tang (618-907)
and
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A
flying Apsara-a Shoushan stone carving.
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Song (960-1279) dynasties were generally
Buddha statues, incense burners, rosaries and funeral figurines.
During the Yuan and Ming (1271-1644), Shoushan stone
also came to be used for seal carving. Later, craftsmen excelled
in various carving styles and many different schools were formed.
Types of Shoushan stone carving now include circular, relief,
openwork hollowed out, boyi (shallow relief) and marquetry carving.
Top craftsmen are able to create wonderful images by utilizing
the natural contours and fine streaks of colour in the stone.
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