In the Ming and Qing dynasties, nut carving, with a variety of themes, was very popular in South China's Guangdong Province and the eastern provinces of Jiangsu, Fujian, and Shandong. One of the most popular themes involves the boat.

Although boat carving required a very high level of carving skills, the theme of Su Dongpo going boating at night had always been very popular since its inception. However, the masterpiece featuring this theme by the aforementioned Wang Shuyuan, no longer exists, leaving its description in middle school textbooks as its only legacy.

Chen Zuzhang, a carving artist from Guangdong Province during the Qing Dynasty, created another work of the same theme with olive stone. Based on the experiences of his forerunners, Chen also had some noticeable breakthroughs artistically. Different from Wang's work, Chen's piece featured seven people altogether, each of which was delicately carved. Chen's work is now collected in the Taipei Imperial Palace Museum.

Author: Jeff