Qingtian stone carving

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Qingtian stone carving

Applicant: Qingtian County, Zhejiang Province

Item No.: 332

Project No.: Ⅶ - 33

Time of publication: 2006 (the first batch)

Category: traditional art

Region: Zhejiang Province

Type: new item

Applicant: Qingtian County, Zhejiang Province

Protection unit: Qingtian stone carving industry protection and Development Bureau

Brief introduction of Qingtian stone carving

Applicant: Qingtian County, Zhejiang Province

Qingtian stone carving is a traditional stone carving art based on Qingtian stone. It is named after the high-quality pyrophyllite produced in Qingtian County, Zhejiang Province. Qingtian stone is warm, crisp and soft, with rich colors and peculiar patterns. It is not only the best material for seal cutting, but also the ideal stone for stone carving.

According to historical records, Qingtian stone carving originated in the Six Dynasties. It emphasizes the application of techniques according to materials and colors. There are processes such as phase stone, cutting, carving, sealing wax and polishing. It is especially good at carving. Round carving, carving, high relief and line carving are used alternately. Qingtian stone carvings have a wide range of subjects, including fish, insects, flowers and birds, and landscape figures. They are all exquisitely carved, with both spirit and form. They are realistic and have all kinds of methods. They are exquisite in the atmosphere and standard in workmanship.

Qingtian stone carvings were exhibited and won prizes at the Paris Games in 1899, the Belgium games in 1905, and the Pacific World Expo in 1915. In recent years, dozens of works have won the first prize of the second, fourth, fifth, sixth and ninth "Hundred Flowers Award" of China. Approved by the Trademark Office of the State Administration for Industry and commerce, Qingtian stone carving has successfully registered the "certification trademark" of its origin. As a result, Qingtian County has been named "hometown of Chinese folk art" and "hometown of Chinese stone carving" by the Ministry of culture and China Light Industry Federation.

At present, after thousands of years of mining, the resources of high-quality pyrophyllite are nearly exhausted. At the same time, the scale of Qingtian stone carving workshop is gradually shrinking, and the traditional skills are in danger of being lost, so it is urgent to rescue and protect them.