Mudiao

Mudiao is traditional Chinese wood-carving, a form of sculpture, and is still practiced today. Mudiao is characterised by detailed fretwork,[1][2] and is sometimes covered with gold foil.[3] Mudiao products include chests, furniture, screens and even buildings.[1][4][5] Chippendale was strongly influenced by mudiao work.[6]

Mudiao fretwork
Mudiao sculpture with gold foil

Woods Used

Generally, hardwoods are chosen that are stable and moderately dense, and hence difficult to carve. However, for some carvings aromatic woods such as the tung tree are chosen. Typical woods include:

Methodology

Classical mudiao is begun by selecting a whole block of wood, sawing it into a regular shape, such as a square flat board, then using edged carving tools to sculpt pictures either in bas-relief or in three-dimensions.

Burls, known as Ying wood or " Yingzi" from a variety of trees are used for carving figurines and standalone sculptures. While coming from any kind of wood, burls from Phoebe trees are the most common. The beautiful lines of bird's-eye knots that look like a string of grapes in Phoebe burls are often called "grape face".

Places famous for mudiao

See also

Notes and references
  1. Fung Ping Shan Museum (1994). 玲瓏木雕 : 福建傳統木雕 [Equisite Wood Carving: Traditional Wood Carving from Fujian] (in Chinese and English). Hong Kong: Hong Kong University. OCLC 34366464.
  2. Jenkins, Donald; Scribnick, Robin (1977). Masterworks in Wood: China and Japan. Portland, Oregon: Portland Art Museum. OCLC 317422670.
  3. "Wood Carving (Zhujin Mudiao)". China Daily. 2 December 2016. Archived from the original on 2 December 2017.
  4. Dye, Daniel Sheets (1937). A Grammar of Chinese Lattice. Volumes 5–6 of Harvard-Yenching Institute monograph series. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.
  5. Ma, Weidu (2001). Classical Chinese Doors and Windows. Beijing: China Architecture & Building Press. ISBN 978-3-211-32191-1.
  6. Moore, N. Hudson (1903). The Old Furniture Book: With a Sketch of Past Days and Ways (second ed.). New York: Frederick A. Stokes Company. pp. 48–49.
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