Guangyuan White Flower Stone Carvings

Guangyuan White Flower Stone Carvings

　　White Flower Stone Carvings are one of China’s four major stone carving traditions. This traditional folk art from Guangyuan City, Sichuan Province, boasts a long history. Legend has it that as early as the Sui and Tang dynasties, stonemasons began using a type of fine, smooth, red-and-white interlaced white flower stone (found in liver-colored and dark green rocks, featuring layers of white, off-white, and light green stone), crafting it into various everyday items such as stone screens, inkstones, pen holders, flower pots, vases, ashtrays, and fruit boxes—each showcasing a unique artistic style.

　　The *Guangyuan County Annals* document the historical background of White Flower Stone Carvings. According to the annals, the craft originated during the Xianfeng era of the Qing Dynasty, when local artisans collected white flower stones from the Taiping area north of the county and carved them into inkstones for sale. By the end of the Guangxu era, Wei Xixian and Wei Lixian from Bazhong came to Guangyuan to learn the craft from their uncle. They later opened “Old Iron Pen Studio” on North Street in the county town, designing and carving stone screens, inkstones, pen holders, flower pots, fish tanks, and stone vases adorned with landscapes, figures, flowers, birds, and animals.

　　During the War of Resistance against Japan, Yu Youren, a high-ranking official of the Nationalist Government and a calligrapher, praised a stone inkstone carved with the scene “Su Wu Herding Sheep” by the Wei brothers when he passed through Guangyuan. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, stonemasons in Guangyuan established a stone carving cooperative to inherit and develop the craft. They produced high-relief, hollow-carved artworks such as the “Flying Dragon” inkstone, the “Plum Blossom” pen holder, the exquisitely delicate “Pine and Crane” vase, the “Lotus” fish bowl, and stone screens depicting folk tales and landscapes like “Chang’e Flying to the Moon” and “The Majestic Jianmen Pass.” These products were exhibited in successive provincial and national arts and crafts shows. At the 1956 National Arts and Crafts Representatives Conference, a member of the Standing Committee personally met with artisans like Wei Lixian and took a commemorative photo with them. Starting in 1978, some of the finest pieces were selected for exhibitions in Japan, Hong Kong, Canada, the United States, and Guyana. In 1979, veteran stonemason Zhang Lirong attended the National Arts and Crafts Design and Production Representatives Conference and was received by Party and state leaders in Beijing.

　　Guangyuan White Flower Stone Carvings have always been made entirely by hand, featuring intricate carving techniques, long production cycles, strong practicality, and high ornamental value. As a result, they have become highly sought-after treasures among collectors worldwide. In 2008, the craft was included in the second batch of China’s National Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection List.