Jiazi Shell Carving

Jiazi Shell Carving

Jiazi Shell Carving is an intangible cultural heritage of Guangdong Province.

　　“Jiazi Shell Carving” — Jiazi is a famous fishing port, with abundant shell resources on the sandy beaches by the sea. “Jiazi Shell Carving” uses various types of shells from the seashore, which are finely processed and assembled with special adhesive to create lifelike, vivid, and highly three-dimensional scenes such as mountains, rocks, water, rivers, waterfalls, wood and bamboo plants, flowers, birds, animals, insects, fish, and various human figures. These are then framed with glass to form exquisite three-dimensional handicrafts that are popular both domestically and abroad.

　　Jiazi Shell Carving is an outstanding traditional folk craft art in China. It uses shells as carving materials to create works of various sizes and shapes, such as human figures, flowers, birds, fish, and insects, vase ornaments, lacquered panel wall hangings, screens, and more. With their unique designs and exquisite craftsmanship, these artworks are hailed as a vibrant gem among Chinese arts and crafts. It has been included in the second batch of intangible cultural heritage listings of Shanwei City.

　　Jiazi Shell Carving boasts a long history, having been passed down for over 400 years, making it a traditional art form rich in historical significance. According to historical records, as early as the Ming and Qing dynasties, people in Jiazi were already crafting jewelry from shells through processes such as sawing, grinding, drilling, and carving. For instance, “Saddle Snails” were strung into necklaces with ropes; “Flower Clam Juveniles” were linked into bracelets; shiny and lustrous shells were made into jade-like plaques and worn by children as good luck charms. Given Jiazi’s proximity to the South China Sea, shells are abundant and commonly used to make everyday items. For example, “Red Conch Shells” were cut into scoops; “Sun-Moon Shells” were used as dung spoons; “Silk Clam Shells” were strung with ropes to serve as sinkers; and “Trumpet Shellfish” were used as conch horns for performances alongside traditional eight-tone drum music. Nearly a hundred years ago, the veteran artisan Liu Jibi, together with his son Longming, crafted plum blossom potted plant artworks using small seashells collected from the beach and glue made from glutinous rice, which they sold in markets for a living. Liu Yongxi, now 73 years old, a renowned arts and crafts master and former head of the creative design group at the Jiazi Shell Carving Craft Factory, is a direct descendant of this lineage. By the time of the Guangxu Emperor, there were already more than ten small-scale family workshops producing shell carvings in Jiazi Town.

　　After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, in order to preserve and pass on the traditional craft of Jiazi Shell Carving, the government established the province’s first shell carving factory — the Jiazi Shell Carving Craft Factory — in 1956. Leveraging the abundant shell resources from Jiazi’s excellent fishing port and recruiting a large number of artisans and skilled carvers, the industry experienced significant growth. The workforce expanded from just over 100 in the 1950s to more than 1,000 by the 1980s. During the 1970s and 1980s, Jiazi Shell Carving reached its golden age. Master artisans, especially Liu Yongxi, the direct descendant of Liu Jibi, designed and created three-dimensional shell carving works such as “Water Lilies,” “The Monkey Subdues the White-Bone Demon Three Times,” “The Snail Maiden,” “Fishermen’s Song,” “Chrysanthemums and Crabs,” “The Long March,” “Flying Apsaras of Dunhuang,” and “Birds Welcoming Spring.” These pieces frequently participated in national arts and crafts exhibitions and won numerous awards. Among them, the three-dimensional shell carving “Water Lilies” was awarded first place for new creative works at the National Arts and Crafts Hundred Flowers Awards held in Lianyungang that year. “The Monkey Subdues the White-Bone Demon Three Times,” when exhibited at the Canton Fair, received high praise from domestic and international merchants and was recognized by the arts and crafts community as the beginning of breaking through the limitations of two-dimensional shell carvings in China, pioneering the art of three-dimensional shell carving. It was subsequently selected for the National Museum's collection and named one of the top ten outstanding Chinese arts and crafts works of that year, released globally as part of China’s international news imagery. In 1976, Liu Yongxi’s graduation work from a provincial sculpture research class — the three-dimensional shell carving “The Snail Maiden” — was featured in the 1978 “Selected New Works of Guangdong Arts and Crafts” and later included in the “Collection of Chinese Arts and Crafts Works” alongside “The Monkey Subdues the White-Bone Demon Three Times.” In 1979, Liu Yongxi’s three-dimensional shell carving “Chrysanthemums and Crabs” was honored as an outstanding work at the provincial arts and crafts exhibition and was featured on the cover of the May 1980 issue of “Guangdong Pictorial.” Jiazi Shell Carving frequently participated in craft exhibitions and trade fairs in Beijing, Shanghai, Lianyungang, Guangzhou, and other locations. Various types of works, including floral and bird screens, figure screens, antique screens, landscape screens, three-dimensional vases, and screen shell carvings, have consistently earned high praise from experts and merchants around the world. Products have been exported in large quantities and have sold well across the nation as well as in Southeast Asia, Europe, America, Africa, and other regions and countries, opening a new chapter in the history of Jiazi Shell Carving. Annual output value reached upwards of 10 million yuan, greatly boosting the local economy.

　　The craftsmanship of Jiazi Shell Carving is exceptionally refined. Drawing techniques from ivory carving, jade carving, wood carving, and traditional Chinese painting, such as varying line depths, the art form transforms thousands of uniquely shaped shells into colorful, exquisitely styled, and strikingly lifelike artworks. Each piece showcases the ingenuity and artistic soul of folk artisans. In particular, the nationally unique and rare technique of creating three-dimensional shell carvings highlights the visual and textural charm of the works, offering viewers a sublime aesthetic experience. During the production process, veteran local artisans demonstrate remarkable skill in utilizing shells. Shells with blemishes are carved into tree trunks with scars; shells with spiral patterns are sliced into hairstyles for female figures; clam and silver-shell varieties are used to craft leaves; and the red hues of conches and turbo snails are employed to resemble maple leaves. Grapes are made from the purple layer inside shells, while dresses are depicted using the layered textures of clam shells. Transparent colors are applied only when necessary. Experts have noted that there are as many forms and compositions in Jiazi Shell Carvings as there are in traditional Chinese paintings.

　　The techniques used in Jiazi Shell Carving include three-dimensional, semi-three-dimensional, flat-mounted, line-engraved, relief, openwork, and sunken carving. Types are categorized into relief wall hangings, such as floral and bird, figure, landscape, and antique-themed pieces; three-dimensional shell carvings, including figures, floral and bird subjects, insects, fish, vase ornaments; low-relief and inlaid works, such as lacquered panel wall hangings, furniture, and screens. The main production steps involve several stages: First, designing patterns based on social and cultural needs, creating various specifications of drawings with ancient inspiration and practicality; second, sourcing materials by disassembling designs into components and selecting suitable shells based on dynamic features of each part, shaping them with adhesive tailored to the material; third, production — cutting, grinding, and then hand-carving and polishing components to enhance vibrancy and visual appeal; fourth, coloring — adding tones to complement the content of the artwork; fifth, assembly — putting components together on bases or frames to restore the original artistic design, then adding decorative elements such as wooden frames and glass to complete the shell carving product.

　　Jiazi Shell Carving, as an outstanding traditional folk craft, is truly a gem in the world of Chinese arts and crafts. It not only possesses profound cultural significance but also holds important value: First, utilitarian value — shells, originally beach debris with little worth beyond being burned into lime, are transformed into valuable artworks through shell carving; second, social value — the craft provides employment opportunities, addressing labor needs in society; third, artistic value — it preserves ancestral shell carving techniques, pioneers three-dimensional shell carving, and elevates the art form to new heights; fourth, economic value — shell carving production contributes to local socioeconomic development, improves living standards, and generates export revenue for the country.

　　In December 2013, Jiazi Shell Carving was included in the fifth batch of Guangdong Province’s intangible cultural heritage list.