Zhang Jiru

Zhang Jiru

Zhang Jiru (1870-1924), born in Henglin Town, is a sculptor. Word Yu, No. Xiqiao, modern Jiangsu Wujin (now Changzhou City) people. In his early years, he studied woodblock carving in Suzhou and got the skills of master. Later, he lived in Shanghai and carved bamboo for people. He is good at engraving Yang characters. Many people want his works, and his reputation is very high. All kinds of seal characters are excellent. He died in 1954. Today, there are still some stone inscriptions made by him in the lion forest of Suzhou, but his bamboo inscriptions are rarely handed down.

Personal price

His father worked in a department of the Qing government. He was studious, strict in family management and strict in children's education. Ji Ru didn't like reading when he was young. When his father saw that his son couldn't make progress, he asked him to stop school and go to a Suzhou bank as an apprentice. There is a lettering shop near the bank. After working, Zhang Jiru often went to the lettering shop to watch it. Over time, he gradually became interested in carving and mastered some key points of carving. He often carves in his spare time. From then on, he resigned from the bank and set up a carving shop in Suzhou before moving to Shanghai. He often exchanges experience with famous teachers of Xiliang printing society, takes the advantages of others, ponders over and studies carefully, thus making new progress in carving art. Zhang Jiru had a unique style in micro carving and was good at archaizing. At that time, he was famous at home and abroad.

achievement

Qian Meixi copied the Han Stone Sutra on the fan bone. All the 420 characters were engraved with Yang characters, which was superb. In addition, the inscriptions on bronze ware are also reduced. The inscriptions on stone drums are equal to the bamboo fan bones, and the flat knives and boxing knives are developed simultaneously. Li Hongzhang bought 16 lacquer fruit boxes from Guangxi as birthday gifts. He wanted to engrave calligraphy and painting on the boxes to enhance their beauty. It's hard to carve a group lacquer book, and no one will accept it. Later, he entrusted Sheng Xuanhuai to visit Zhang Jiru in Shanghai. Zhang yifengshui's carving knife is carved slowly on the lacquer box. The characters are Zheng, Cao, Li and Zhuan. There are landscapes, figures, flowers and animals in the paintings. They are all antique, exquisite and solid. This kind of carving art and conception is beyond the ability of ordinary sculptors. If Zhang Ji engraved, he would choose to operate under the light in the dead of night. Although his characters are finer than Qiu Hao, they are all carved with a big knife. At that time, there were also outstanding sculptors in Shanghai, but they could only engrave Yin characters, only Zhang Yiru could engrave Yang characters.

Zhang Jiru once presented a fan bone to his younger brother Nantian. The fan bone is the size of a cigarette. All the fan bones are engraved with "Orchid Pavilion preface" in Yangwen. On the back of the fan bone is engraved with "piling Zhang Jiru 50 has four, the seal of Jinshi calligraphy and painting works". Beside the bamboo bone is engraved with "grape field" border. "Preface to Lanting" is based on "stone engraving of wulanting". The original cunshi is exquisite, and the erosion on the three steles is similar to the original stele, both in shape and spirit.

In 1886, zhizaofu in Suzhou engraved the book Chenghua shilue written by Wang Qiujian in Yuan Dynasty for the palace. Many famous engravers were forbidden. Zhang Jiru was also one of them. A few months later, the book was engraved, and they were released.

Zhang Jiru was a serious man. He swore that he would not engrave any more. He rented a hut in Taohuawu to grow flowers and grass, and engrave bamboo and wood. When Fei Nianci, a neighbor painter, saw that he was good at carving, he asked him to carve a wooden box cover for collecting calligraphy and paintings and a few squares for displaying ancient Yi utensils. He carefully read the paintings and calligraphy collected by feinianci and listened to the explanation of the six laws. In Fei's family, he met some famous calligraphers and painters at that time, humbly asked them for advice, learned from others, and improved his literary and artistic accomplishment. In a few years, he completed the role transition from craftsman to master of art.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Shanghai replaced Suzhou as a commercial and cultural center. Many artists moved to Shanghai for development, including Zhang Jiru. As soon as he arrived in Shanghai, his works were favored by collectors, and his reputation spread to Beijing. A politician in the direct line attached himself to mediocrity and elegance. He also wanted to ask him to carve one, but he was afraid that his reputation would be ruined and he would be forced to shut up. Finally, calligrapher Hu Zefeng came forward and invited him at the price of 1600 silver yuan.

Zhang Ji, as a famous calligrapher, naturally made every effort to carve the preface to Tengwang Pavilion into 16 lines of Yangwen on a 9.5-inch and 16 square fan bone. The word is as small as millet, but it shows the style of a famous scholar.

Zhang Jiru has been engraved on his desk for many years. He is infected with lung disease. This fan bone has been engraved on his desk, so that he falls down on the table and doesn't get up. He was only 55 years old.

Zhang Jiru's bamboo fan bones are exquisite, elegant and unparalleled. He also engraves a small number of pen holders and armrests, but each one is exquisite. He also left a micro engraved seal book, about 40 square meters. The seal is as big as soybean and has more than 40 characters. The small one is rice grain and has 4-5 characters. According to the experts who have seen the seal, although the seal is small, it pays attention to the composition and knife technique, which is no inferior to that of the famous masters, but the famous masters are determined not to carve it so small.

It's a pity that Zhang Jiru's unique skills have not been inherited by later generations. His son Zhongying has been transferred to the antique industry. His grandsons Yongchang, Zongxian and granddaughter Yongzhen have all become outstanding figures in the antique industry.