Pokerwork is a handicraft picture branded on the surface of fan ribs, combs, wooden furniture, paper and thin silk, by using a specially designed iron stylus. It is also known as an ironed picture, heated-pen picture, heated pokerwork, and ironed flower. The pyrography was reportedly initiated in the Qing Dynasty(1644-1911). Pokerworks are produced in Henan, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Anhui provinces.
In the early stage, some simple designs were ironed on the surface of bamboo and wood works for decorations. Today’s pokerworks are developed gradually on this basis. To produce pokerworks, we must first have a specially designed iron stylus, heat the tool and manually decorate designs on woody or thick paper materials. To complete a pokerwork, we will go through the procedures of selecting suitable materials, working out the composition, drawing a sketch map, producing designs on materials by using heated tools, lacquering it, and mounting the pokerwork.
Finished pokerworks are eulogized for concise and natural lines, freehand and realistic paintings, being true to life, and never fading. They entertain people with plain styles, antique beauty and elegance. Pokerworks are based on wide-ranging contents, largely presenting figure paintings, flower-bird paintings, birds, beasts, landscapes and calligraphy. Paper-based pokerworks mainly focus on figures from A Dream in Red Mansion, the Romance of West Chamber, the Romance of Three Kingdoms, Journey to the West, and Dunhuang frescoes. These works are marvelous creation excelling nature. They are best artistic handicrafts for household and guesthouse decorations, or given as gifts and put as collections.
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