Xiaohai Porcelain Carving

Xiaohai Porcelain Carving

　　Xiaohai Porcelain Carving is an art form practiced by ceramic carving artists in Xiaohai Town, who use steel chisels to etch beautiful patterns onto pre-fired porcelain surfaces and then apply color. It is one of the intangible cultural heritages of Xiaohai Town. Xiaohai Porcelain Carving originated in the 18th century and has a history of over 200 years. Its emergence is closely connected to ancient oracle bone inscriptions, bronze cast sculptures, jade carvings from the Qin and Han dynasties, as well as decorative techniques such as wood, ivory, and stone carving from the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. Legend has it that Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty often inscribed poems on porcelain pieces he particularly admired, using them as a heartfelt expression. To preserve these imperial inscriptions for a long time, court artisans developed a method to carve the ink calligraphy directly onto the porcelain, thus giving birth to the true art of porcelain carving.

　　The artworks of Xiaohai Porcelain Carving are designed based on the shape, size, and color of the ceramic object being worked on. The design is transferred onto the porcelain using carbon paper. Xiaohai porcelain carving is divided into intaglio (negative carving), where the image is represented by recessed areas, and relief (positive carving), where the image remains raised on the surface. Coloring is then applied using oil paints, luminous oil, and ceramic glazes, with colors chosen to harmonize with the tone of the porcelain glaze and applied in a well-coordinated manner. Finally, finishing and decoration are carried out. This mainly involves repeated adjustments to any carving or coloring that is not quite right until the artist is satisfied, after which the piece is framed, mounted, or fitted with a display stand.

　　Porcelain carving works created by Chen Yinfu, a porcelain carving artist from Xiaohai Town—“The 108 Heroes of Water Margin” and “A Century of Turbulence: The Return of the Milu Deer”—won the Special Gold Award and the Traditional Art Gold Award respectively at the 12th China Arts and Crafts Masters' Exposition held at the Shanghai East Asia Exhibition Hall.