What is rubbings?

A form of artistic expression, in which a desired pattern is carved on a wooden board with a carving knife (abstract decorative painting works well), and then a picture is drawn on the wooden board, and then the wooden board is covered with paper for rubbing to get a picture.

Rubbing, also known as cicada slough, is a special printing technology, which first appeared in China. When it originated, there is no exact record. Since Cai Lun invented papermaking in Yuanxing three years of the Eastern Han Dynasty, rubbings on inscriptions have gradually spread among scholars, so it should be in the middle and late Eastern Han Dynasty. The Concise Encyclopedia of Britain wrote:' There is evidence that rubbings were used in China as early as the second century AD'. It should be said that the ancestor of rubbings is China.

Inscriptions have been very popular since the Eastern Han Dynasty. In order to copy these inscriptions, people invented rubbing technology. Wet the tissue paper first, lay it flat on the inscription, and brush the paper flat with a soft brush to make it close to the tablet surface. Then, cover it with a fine cloth and dip it in ink, and gently rub it on the paper.

Lithography is the predecessor of woodcut printing. Fan Wenlan said: "Once the rubbing method is applied to the board, it will become printing." . It can be seen that engraving printing in China originated from rubbing.