Four Carvings of Huizhou

Four Carvings of Huizhou

　　A collective term for four types of folk carving crafts in the Huizhou style: brick carving, stone carving, wood carving, and bamboo carving. The "Four Carvings" of Huizhou are most typical and best preserved in She County, Yi County, and Wuyuan County. They are mainly used for the decoration of buildings such as residences, ancestral halls, temples, and gardens, as well as in the crafting of traditional furniture, decorative screens, brush pots, fruit trays, and more. The history of the "Four Carvings" dates back to the Song Dynasty, reaching its peak during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Ming Dynasty carvings were bold and rustic, generally featuring only flat or shallow relief work that relied on line modeling but lacked perspective variation. However, they emphasized symmetry and were rich in decorative appeal. Qing Dynasty carvings became more delicate and intricate, with compositions and layouts incorporating techniques from the Xin’an School of Painting. These carvings emphasized artistic beauty, often using deep relief and round carving, and advocated for openwork effects. Some pieces featured over ten layers of openwork, with pavilions, towers, trees, landscapes, human figures, animals, flowers, birds, and insects all integrated into a single scene—exquisitely detailed, well-balanced, distinctly layered, and lifelike. These works demonstrated the exceptional artistic skill of the carving artisans. (Huangshan)