Yuyao Micro-carving

Yuyao Micro-carving

　　Yuyao Micro-carving

　　Micro-carving artworks are created by carving various figures and animals onto ivory pieces as small as half a grain of rice. Their lifelike forms can be seen clearly under a magnifying glass. Such incredibly fine craftsmanship is referred to as “miraculous workmanship beyond mortal skill.”

　　As early as several thousand years ago, micro-carving artworks had been passed down in China. Li Qici, a successor of Yuyao micro-carving, developed a passion for painting and calligraphy from a young age and dedicated himself to learning and perfecting the art of micro-carving through diligent practice, even crafting his own engraving tools. The blades he made are finer than embroidery needles. Most of his carving is done late at night when all is quiet, relying on intuition and spiritual focus to achieve harmony between mind, hand, and intention—capturing the vast world within a tiny speck. When carving, he concentrates intensely with unwavering focus, allowing no room for error. Completing a single piece often takes him half a month, or even a full month.

　　The micro-carved artworks by Li Qici are all breathtaking masterpieces. On a piece of ivory no larger than one-quarter of a grain of rice, he carved a six-sided statue of Amitabha Buddha that can be viewed from any angle—reportedly the smallest Buddha statue in the world today. On both sides of an ivory piece the size of a grain of rice, he carved portraits of 39 U.S. presidents since 1789. This artwork was exhibited in Los Angeles, USA, in May 1987. During the ten-day exhibition, thousands of visitors lined up daily to view it. Due to the overwhelming crowds, it became necessary to limit each visitor’s viewing time to just 10 seconds. In January 1988, he carved the portraits of the same 39 U.S. presidents on one side of an ivory piece the size of a grain of rice, reducing the size by half compared to the previous work. This piece was exhibited in Atlanta, USA. He also painted the world-famous Mona Lisa’s smile inside a tiny glass bottle with a diameter of only 3 millimeters. When viewed through a 20x magnifying glass, the facial features are clear, the colors vibrant, and the expression remarkably lifelike.

　　Yuyao micro-carving artworks have caused a sensation in places such as the United States and Japan. Some of the ivory micro-carvings, snuff bottles, and glass bottle paintings have become treasured collections in museums and among collectors in the U.S. and Japan.