Suzhou wood carving style

From the representative wood carving works existing in suzhou, can be seen in suzhou wood carving unique "fine, fine, elegant, li" style, known as "su style" wood carving, and anhui, nanjing, ningbo and known as "four schools". Four schools".

In 1417 (Ming Yongle fifteen years), Suzhou Xiangshan craftsman Kuaixiang, called to participate in the Beijing Palace City building. According to "Xiangshan Xiaozhi - people" records, the king of Burma to the Ming dynasty presented a huge wood, the emperor's will be designated as the threshold of the Great Hall used. One of the carpenters was not careful, sawing more than a foot short when cutting. The carpenter was terrified, had to Kuaixiang straight. Kuaixiang look carefully, personally, and will saw off more than a foot of wood. In the crowd at the time of great surprise, he told the side of the carpenter, carved on both ends of the wood on the two dragons, inlaid on the side of a large "beads", with live tenon and mortise and tenon loading and unloading. This is later known as the "vajra legs". From this narrative, you can see the "carving to make up for the clumsy" wonderful, reflecting the then Kuaixiang and other woodworkers in the wood carving on the high skills.

Late Qing Dynasty, there is "mud Wu Bao, wood Jinbao" said, said Xiangshan craftsmen Wu Xiaoban, Bao Ziyin, Jinbao, craftsmen four famous, each set up their own households, has become the master of the art. Coinciding with the construction of Suzhou West Park Temple, in the *** with the production of the Hall of the Three Rudras statue, each other often lose coordination, more difficult to distinguish between high and low craftsmanship, so Wu Xiaobat and Jinbao to their own unique carving of a Jigong and the crazy monks as a competition. Two people work hard for a year long, after the debut caused a big sensation in Suzhou, Jigong form of God, facial expressions change, like a smile, like a smile, like a cry, a kind, warm, friendly posture. Crazy monk girdle a ribbon, the ribbon fluttering, grain sparse and dense, the characters are lifelike, to the point of messing with the real thing. Fully demonstrates the wisdom, talent and creativity of Suzhou wood carvers.