Jianmen Root Carvings

Jianmen root carvings are artworks featuring people, animals or objects carved out of natural or distorted tree roots (including tree trunks, burls, sanders roots, bamboo roots etc) through careful designing and artistic processing. In the creation of a root carving work, the most part should be presented through the natural shapes of the root material, with a small part being recreated. So, root carving is also called 'the art of the root' or 'root art'.

China has a long history of root carving: Primitive people began to make effigies out of wood for ornaments. In 1982, when cleaning the No 1 tomb of the Chu state excavated in Mashan, a local museum employee in Jingzhou County, Hubei Province discovered a root carving believed to have been made between 340 and 270BC in the late Warring States Period - 2,300 years ago. It featured a four-legged animal with a tiger's head, a dragon's body and a rabbit's tail; its manner was full of verve and simple and elegant in hue. By the Sui and Tang dynasties, root art was very prosperous. Records from The Biography of Li Mi present a root carving entitled 'Dragon-shaped Claw' made from a crude tree root for the emperor. Root carving artwork from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), such as the 'Phoenix' and 'Jade Dragon' have been on display in Yuyuan in Shanghai until today. These works thoroughly exhibit the verves of root carving.

There are four principles of root carving:
The most important principle to follow in root carving is to make use of the natural root.
The second principle is highlighting the composition.
Next comes the principle of expressing the mentality and sentiment of the creator. Finally comes the principle of seeking singularity and pursuing beauty.

Jianmen root carvings are very famous for its delicate craftsmanship and various shapes. It strictly follows the four principles, and is well known both at home and abroad.