Four Wonders of Huizhou Carving

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Four Wonders of Huizhou Carving

Animals, flowers, trees, clouds, geometric figures and poems are also the models of Huizhou woodcarving, such as dragons, phoenixes, tigers, pigs, horses as well as "Si Buxiang"---a kind of animal peculiar to Huizhou. The models also can be magpies (which represent happiness), beer (which represents wealth), bees (which represent promotion), monkeys (which represent high position) and other lucky things. This kind of woodcarving is usually used in patio's beams and arches. It can exist as an independent artwork without attaching to something else.

Besides their typical figures, the pines, stones, clouds, springs and exotic flowers and herbs on woodcarvings also have the features of Huizhou lithography and pot gardening, which makes them more diversified and interesting.

·Base on Carving

Huizhou woodcarving is often subordinate to buildings and furniture and seldom exists as an unattached artwork as does the Wuhu iron picture and stone carving of Qingtian Zhengjiang province, so it gives attention to both beautification and practicality. Therefore the choice of materials, the subject material and the arranging of structure should be considered from the angle of decorating.

For furniture, Huizhou woodcarving is often applied to beds, wardrobes, dressers, chairs and more. According to the traditional customs of Huizhou, people usually buy or customize a bed or wardrobe decorated with woodcarving for a new couple.

·Deepen the carving degree

Initially, Huizhou woodcarving is just deepening the carving degree on the base of engraving, which makes it look like a low relief piece. Gradually the carvers cut down the excess parts and pay more attention to hierarchy. Carvers adopt different methods depending on the contents the furniture is designed to hold.

Huizhou woodcarving attaches great importance to variation. The rocks, trees, figures, attics, animals, flowers on the woodcarvings are full of local colors and folk styles and all of them embody the carvers' knowledge and expertise.

Most of the Huizhou's residences are constructed from high quality timbers such as cypress, ginkgo, fir and so on. In order to show the high quality of the timbers，and at the same time avoid defacing the fine parts of the woodcarvings, the carvers seldom paint residences. The timbers' natural color and the beautiful rings in the trees make the woodcarvings more beautiful and vivid.

Before starting to carve a piece of woodcarving, the designer has drawn the blueprint in his mind which takes account of beauty and practicality, especially for the woodcarvings used in beams and arches which have to be installed after the completion of the whole piece.

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