Tongzhou Nut Carving

Tongzhou Nut Carving

　　Carving various figures, animals, boats, and more on fruit pits, usually also referring to the sculptural handicrafts made from such carvings. By material, they can be divided into peach pit carving, olive pit carving, apricot pit carving, bayberry pit carving, walnut pit carving, among which peach pit carving is the most common.

　　The origins of fruit pit carving remain uncertain. According to historical texts and cultural relic analysis, fruit pit carving had already reached a high level of artistry during the Ming Dynasty. In the Xuande era of the Ming Dynasty, Xia Baiyan carved 16 children on an olive pit, each child no larger than half a grain of rice, with clear facial features. The most famous fruit pit carver of the Ming Dynasty was Wang Yi (courtesy name Shuyuan, also known as Chupingshanren) from Yushan, Jiangsu (present-day Changshu), during the Tianqi era. His creation "The Boat at Red Cliff" in the second year of the Tianqi era (1622) is a masterpiece in the history of fruit pit carving. The boat is about 3 centimeters (cm) long and 0.5 cm high, with a cabin in the middle covered by a canopy, and small windows on both sides, four on each side, that can open and close. On the carved railings beside the windows, the right side is inscribed with "High mountains, small moon" and "Receding water reveals stones," while the left side is inscribed with "Gentle breeze slowly arrives" and "Water ripples do not stir." At the bow of the boat are carved three figures: Su Dongpo, his friend Huang Luzhi, and the monk Foyin. Among them, Su Dongpo and Huang Luzhi are seen reading a book together, while the monk Foyin, resembling the Laughing Buddha, has an exposed chest, a prayer bead necklace hanging from his left arm, with each bead clearly visible. At the stern of the boat is a single oar, with one boatman carved on each side. On the back of the boat is the inscription: "Carved by Wang Yi Shuyuan of Yushan in the autumn of the Tianqi renxu year." The characters are as fine as mosquito legs, and a seal reading "Chupingshanren" is also carved. This nut boat became a model for future master artisans of fruit pit carving. The Yixing carver Qiu Shan excelled in walnut pit carving, often depicting themes such as Su Dongpo’s Red Cliff excursion, fishermen’s joy, flower baskets, and landscapes. During the Qing Dynasty, the artistry of fruit pit carving further improved, with Jiangsu as the traditional production area. During the Kangxi era, Jin Lao of Suzhou (name unknown), Feng Xilu of Jiading, as well as Du Shiyuan and Shen Junyu of Suzhou during the Qianlong era, were all renowned fruit pit carvers. Feng Xilu’s olive pit carving “Grass Bridge Startled Dream” features houses and figures arranged appropriately within the composition, complemented by sparse willows hiding crows and a straw gate with a dog lying down, vividly portraying a rural night scene. Shen Junyu’s olive pit carving “Hunchbacked Elder” depicts an elder wearing a palm-bark hat, with a beard, a patched garment on the shoulder, holding a fan with poetic inscriptions; he also carved a “macaque” from a bayberry pit, with distinct facial features—according to “Jinyu Suosui,” some artisans strung together 108 prayer beads carved from peach pits, each bead featuring 3–6 differently posed and uniquely featured arhats. Additionally, during the Jiaqing and Daoguang eras, the famed fruit pit carver Fang Jianshao from Xiapu, Fujian, created “Su Dongpo’s Red Cliff Excursion,” with “canopy windows opened, river willows casting shadows,” and detailed depictions of the figures and oars within the boat.

　　The main tools used in fruit pit carving are files, chisels, and drills. Files include coarse files, smooth files, and round files. Chisels come in square and round types. The process of fruit pit carving involves: ① Preliminary processing of the fruit pit using coarse and smooth files. ② Design conception and sketching on the fruit pit. ③ Rough shaping according to the design using a round file. ④ Detail carving with chisels, using small square chisels for eyebrows and eyes, and small round chisels for mouths, etc. ⑤ Polishing and waxing. Finally, holes are drilled to string the pieces into prayer beads, or bases are added to create decorative items.

　　The artistic characteristics of fruit pit carving lie in its exquisite detail and miniature form. Individual display pieces are often paired with bases and covered with glass domes for appreciation; some are adorned with tassels to serve as ornaments or fan pendants; others are strung together into prayer beads.