Micro-carving
Micro-carving is the most delicate craft among the traditional arts and crafts in my country. It is made on pieces of ivory, bamboo, or hair strands of several millimeters the size of rice grains. For engraving, the work requires a magnifying glass or microscope to see the carved content, so it has been called a "stunt skill" in the past.
The construction area of ??micro-carving is very small, and it does not require a high level of calligraphy skills and proficiency. The skill of micro-carving tools is difficult to complete, and when carving, you need to hold your breath, concentrate, and be meticulous.
Micro-carving, as the name suggests, is a carving technique that is famous for its tiny details.
China’s miniature sculptures have a long history. As far back as the Yin and Shang dynasties, miniature carvings appeared in oracle bone inscriptions. During the Warring States period, the seals were as small as millet, but the seals were red and white. The well-known "Nuclear Boat" by Wang Shuyuan is also a classic of miniature sculpture art in Chinese history.
The art of seal cutting edges is the foundation for the emergence and development of miniature carving art. Since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, many literati have used the small size of the seal to inscribe and paint with iron pens to express their interest and entertain themselves. After Shoushan stone became a seal material, the art of miniature carving of Shoushan stone began to appear. In the early Qing Dynasty, Yang Xuan and Zhou Bin both carved small characters in out-of-the-way patterns on Shoushan stone carvings. Lin Qingqing, the master sculptor of the "Ximen Boyi School", often carved his own words in the grass and stone crevices of his works with extremely fine strokes. Later, some people would carve ancient poems as margins with extremely fine characters on the four sides of the square pillar of the seal.
In the 1960s, with the application of advanced scientific instruments such as magnifying glasses in the field of micro-carving, micro-carving art became a unique new art. The text engraved in the works is getting smaller and smaller, and the content is getting larger and larger. In the 1980s, Chen Zhongsen and other artists who were interested in innovating Shoushan sculpture realized that Shoushan stone was greasy, soft and easy to attack during long-term practice and research, so they made bold attempts at micro-carving and achieved success. . They strived for perfection in every detail and further developed the art of miniature carving. Chen Zhongsen's miniature sculptures are so "micro" that you need a high-power magnifying glass to see them clearly. For example, his miniature sculpture "Preface to Orchid Pavilion" uses a Tianhuang stone of only 1 cubic centimeter, which is larger than a soybean. The full text of more than 300 words was carved on only one surface. No wonder the famous contemporary calligrapher Qi Gong praised his work. The miniature sculptures are "as thin as a mosquito's feet, capable of moving freely and horizontally, and their skills are at their peak".
The art of miniature carving is "art in the smallest detail". The more subtle it is, the more refined the workmanship, and the higher the value. Miniature carving is also an art that pays great attention to the picture and composition. This is the "meaning of essence". The engraver of micro carvings must first have strong calligraphy and painting skills. Although the micro carvings are too subtle to be recognized with the naked eye, they are still very exquisite under a magnifying glass, like large calligraphy masterpieces. In addition to miniature calligraphy, Chen Zhongsen also created a new variety - miniature painting. He took advantage of Shoushan stone's colorful and varied textures, and combined it with landscapes, flowers, birds, and figures, creating a new art that was different from calligraphy and painting on gold and stone. His miniature sculpture "Hundred Bears Paradise" competed in the "World Art Center" in the United States and won the only "Special Gold Award" in the third Golden Rooster Award, which caused a sensation.
In recent years, Fuzhou has organized a micro-carving research society with more than 10 members. Among them, Li Yiming's micro-carving calligraphy works won the "Special Award" in related competitions in Japan. In addition, there are Chen Dongsheng, Chen Mingde, and Zhang Ping. , Yang Shiying, Liu Yongqi, Lin Youxi, Lin Qinsong and others also made great achievements.
Miniature carvings pay special attention to the selection of materials. The stone texture must be absolutely pure, and no sand grid or cracks are tolerated, because half a sand dot can engrave more than 10 Chinese characters. Secondly, micro-carved knives are also special thin knives, which must be both tapering and sharp. Third, you must have particularly proficient calligraphy and traditional Chinese painting skills, so that you can perform "intentional carving" when carving. Fourth, you should hold your breath and concentrate on the scene, concentrate your thoughts, and make every detail possible in one go. Fifth, the sword must be moved steadily, accurately and ruthlessly. Only in this way can the calligraphy and sword technique be perfectly unified.
In the 1990s, You Jiarui developed a new variety of Shoushan stone calligraphy microcarvings called "desk and cliff carvings". The desk cliff of Shoushan Stone is originally small and exquisite, with various shapes, and coupled with the art of micro-carving calligraphy, it has even more appreciation value, so it is loved by everyone.
Since 2005, Mr. Shan Shan Xie, an American miniature sculpture artist from his motherland, has demonstrated his unique miniature sculpture skills in New York, which has won the favor of the American people and the majority of overseas Chinese.