The tomb of Zhao Mei, the king of South Vietnam, is the largest stone tomb known in Lingnan, weighing 2.6 tons. 244 pieces (sets) of jade unearthed in the tomb, including 7 1 piece of jade wall, 2 sapphire round carving dancers, L pieces of blue-and-white jade carving claw cup embossed cirrus patterns, as well as silk carving jade clothes, dragon and tiger jade belt hooks, dragon and phoenix patterns, animal heads, etc., are exquisite treasures, reflecting the superb technological level of processing jade at that time, indicating that South Vietnam mastered cutting. Talc stoves, ear cups, pigs, pillows, inkstones and grindstones were also found in the tomb of Nanyue King. Sharpen the stone, sharpen the stone axe. This shows that stone carving is also a valuable craft.
The history of stone carving began with the origin of human art. It can be said that up to now, none of the all-encompassing art forms of human beings is older than stone carving, and no art form can be more popular and enduring.
The history of stone carving can be traced back to the middle Paleolithic period1200,000 years ago. Since then, stone carvings have been handed down to this day. In this long history, the creation of stone carving art has been constantly updated and improved. In different periods, the types and styles of stone carvings have changed greatly; Different demands, different aesthetic pursuits, different social environments and social systems are all restricting the development and evolution of stone carving creation. The history of stone carving is not only an art history, but also a history with rich cultural connotations, and it is also a vivid and true humanistic history.
Stone Carving in Pre-Qin Period
Stone carving in Neolithic age
Around 10,000 years ago, the primitive ancestors bid farewell to the gathering and hunting economy, ended their wandering life, turned to the Neolithic Age, and began to engage in a settled life dominated by agriculture and animal husbandry. When primitive people bid farewell to the gathering and hunting environment of mountain forests and moved to the banks and hills of Ye Ping, those lifelike hunting arts no longer reappeared. It is found that the painted pottery patterns in the Neolithic Age are often simple, abstract, deformed and even geometrically formalized animal patterns, so in the areas where the Neolithic Revolution flourished, stone carvings and rock paintings have taken a back seat or even disappeared.
The ancestors of the Neolithic Age in China were able to burn pottery about 10,000 years ago, but it was only about 7,000 to 8,000 years ago that they began to enter the painted pottery age. Comparatively speaking, the technology of grinding stone tools invented by ancient humans in China was used in the late Paleolithic period. The stone decorations of cavemen are made by pondering and punching holes, which is a milestone in the history of ancient sculpture in China, because only by inventing grinding technology can stones become invincible carving materials for human beings.
During the Pei Ligang and Yangshao cultural periods, the ice age in China ended, which was a warm climate suitable for human survival and development. Settled farmers, they are happy and happy in knowing life and weaving peace carols in peace. They make all kinds of pottery and like to decorate it with abstract and concise fish patterns and various geometric patterns. People's understanding of formal beauty has greatly expanded, and plastic arts have also expanded to all fields of sculpture.
China's early Neolithic stone carvings can be represented by the stone mills and grinding rods of Peiligang culture. It is made of sandstone, and its appearance is designed to be similar to the geometric shape of the sole. It is neat and generous, and its center of gravity is stable. Processing is very difficult, which requires drilling, cutting, grinding and repairing, and involves various basic technologies of stone carving processing. Compared with various grinded stone tools of the same period, it has a sense of form. It not only faithfully records the productive labor of primitive people, but also embodies high aesthetic value. This kind of stone tool, which embodies the duality of labor, is often placed next to the dead as a funerary object. It is the appeal of religion that prompted the artist to create this rare stone carving.
But in the boxing stone age, pottery was always the mainstream of sculpture, because it was easy to form and materials were available everywhere. Before the invention of iron, stone carving was still a rare work of art, so our attention had to turn to stone carving and rock painting.
Stone carving and rock painting, in the border areas with suitable conditions, are still the main forms of original artists' creation, enduring for a long time. For example, there are many Neolithic works in Yinshan rock paintings. The expression style of Yinshan rock paintings has far-reaching influence. In fact, most of the rock paintings created by ancient nomadic people in northern and northwestern China are stone carvings, and their source should be traced back to Yinshan rock paintings. In addition, hunting and animal description will always be eternal themes. The pictographs of inscriptions on bronze in Shang and Zhou Dynasties, the realistic patterns of bronzes in Warring States and the hunting pictures of figures in portrait bricks in Qin Dynasty are all extensions of this technique, but the latter is more and more accurate, formal and rhythmic. It can be seen that the abstract generalization and exaggeration of shadow play techniques can best reflect the aesthetic ideal of China's classical art, which does not emphasize modeling, but pursues vivid charm.
In addition, another source of China ancient stone carving technology-line carving, also appeared in the Neolithic Age. The stone statue found in Jiangjun Cliff in Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province is believed to have been carved by primitive ancestors at the end of Neolithic Age. This form of line carving stone carving is the most widely used in stone carving creation in past dynasties.
Although there are not many stone carvings unearthed in the Neolithic Age, the style is not simple, which is completely different from stone carvings and rock paintings. Several talc sculptures in Houwa, Donggou, Liaoning, are all round figures, with rough and strange knife techniques and simple and vivid images, which shows that they are symbolic works.
Although the expression of head stone carving is abstract, it does not mean that the carving technique was low at that time. For example, the relief surface of Daxi culture is carved and polished, and its image also has an invisible religious power. Obviously, sculptors at that time focused on creating jade carvings. Because we have seen many exquisite jade carvings and small stone carvings in Hongshan Culture and Liangzhu culture.
The Jade Dragon in Hongshan Culture is a rare masterpiece. Made of xiuyan jade, it has high hardness, which proves that stone carving technology is applied to jade carving. As we all know, in ancient sculpture, it is difficult to distinguish the materials of jade and stone, and there is only a relative view in the expert's identification and collection classification standard. However, one thing we can confirm is that in the Stone Age and the Bronze Age, ancient sculptors treated jade and stone equally. Therefore, in the cultures of Hongshan Culture and Northern Yinyingying, we have seen the coexistence of fish-shaped stone pendants and yuhua stone ornaments with five sculptures.
On the other hand, primitive artists also widely used their skills in the field of practical appliance processing, making stone pestles, mortars, millstones and various stone farm tools, and also carving stone tombs and piers with stone chambers. Especially the appearance of the latter plays a very important role in the history of ancient stone carving architecture in China. The stone shed discovered in the late Neolithic period in Haicheng, Liaoning Province is one of the representative works.
In the late Paleolithic period, megalithic architecture was a simple combination of uncut natural megaliths, which appeared calm and powerful, and it was the product of primitive megalith worship that made people detached from the world. It once prevailed in the grasslands of Eurasia and later spread to East Asia. When there was no country, it entered the era of civilization, and its remains can still be found in the border areas. In the form of stone shed in Liaoning sea area, slate is carved into a regular geometric shape, and artificial power is strengthened, while natural power and religious spirit are obviously weakened. It should be the end of the megalithic building. This stone shed building is considered as a grave. In the minds of prehistoric people, megaliths are usually regarded as the residence of souls or gods, so they are often used as boundary markers, coffins or objects of religious worship.
So far, the Neolithic stone carvings discovered by archaeology can be roughly divided into several categories. The first category is traditional stone carvings, including traditional typical microliths and small ornaments; The second category is grinding utility, including daily necessities, utensils, production tools and weapons; The third category is idols with religious nature; The fourth category is animal stone carvings and carved stone pots with vitality. Among them, utensils and animal stone carvings can best represent the highest level of stone carving modeling at that time. Later, we can see the existence of many realistic animals and fantasy animal sculptures in the tombs of Nu Wa and Good Men in Shang Dynasty, which cannot but be attributed to the stone carving tradition of praising natural life in Neolithic Age.
In addition, we can learn the beauty of geometric modeling, an artistic language, from the practical instruments created by the ancestors in the Neolithic Age.
Facts show that stone products in Neolithic Age, such as production tools and weapons, all have points, lines and outlines that can arouse people's visual aesthetic feeling. When they reappear in the form of decoration, they constitute an unprecedented geometric art language system.
Without rules, it is not enough to form a square, which is the most essential observation and experience of the ancients on the aesthetic feeling of form. Therefore, the early hieroglyphics in China are all exquisite figures composed of Fiona Fang lines, points and strokes. This pictographic character is an artistic creation combining language and aesthetics. In fact, it comes down in one continuous line with the geometric modeling of original stone carving.
While creating daily necessities, ancient humans created geometric figures such as points, lines, squares and circles. When we carefully browse the typical stone products in the late Neolithic period, we can't help but admire how the ancient ancestors had such superb modeling skills. Although the iron chisel tool has not been invented, it can reflect the objective reality of objects with the most general points and lines. The shapes and lines of these objects are so beautiful, so symmetrical and precise. Ancient ancestors have fully realized that the most beautiful form is also the most convenient and practical form.
Stone carving in Shang dynasty
Following Erlitou culture, Erligang culture represents the remains of the middle Shang Dynasty. At this time, stone production still occupies an important position. At that time, all kinds of pottery and plastic products prevailed, but there were few eye-catching stone carvings. It was not until the cultural period of Yin Ruins and the heyday of China Bronze Age that the stone carving art regained its dazzling brilliance.
There are also famous statues of figures in the late Shang Dynasty, as well as a residual statue of a mortar man in the tomb of Houjiazhuang 1004 in Anyang, and a stone man in the tomb of Muhao in Yin Ruins. These figures are meticulously portrayed and their hairstyles are clearly identifiable, which is the direct expression of social life by ancient sculptors, thus leaving a model for future generations to observe.
The primitive religious view of animism prevailed in Shang society, and animals were also the gods worshipped by people at that time, so stone carving artists were particularly good at expressing various animal worlds. Large animal stone carvings are more common in Anyang Yin, the capital of Wang Dynasty. The stone duck unearthed in Houjiazhuang is a re-creation that does not stick to the original shape. Its beak and prominent eyes hook the essential characteristics and fierce personality of the raptor, and other details are omitted. Its feet vary in thickness to support balance and avoid monotony. Its feathers and wings are represented by line carving. This method of integrating pattern decoration into circular sculpture is different from prehistoric sculpture.
Ming and Qing architectural stone carvings
The Ming and Qing Dynasties were the last period of China feudal society from turmoil, recovery, prosperity to collapse. At that time, the architectural art developed along the tradition of classical art analysis, thus forming the last peak in the history of ancient architectural art in China.
The palaces and mausoleums in the Ming Dynasty were very large in scale, and the stone carving art attached to them also made many innovative achievements. Out of the palace, the anal cleaning garden surpassed the Ming Dynasty in scale and quality.
Stone carvings and China watches have existed since ancient times, but the Baishi China watch in Tiananmen Square in the Ming Dynasty has its own characteristics and artistic achievements. It is an unprecedented architectural decoration shaped by various carving techniques. The main body of the Chinese watch column is dragon-shaped, and the bas-relief hidden on the ground depicts the dragon shape, and the moire decoration is sandwiched in the middle, which makes the Chinese watch look majestic and solemn. Its stigma is covered with colorful carved clouds, and the lotus petal stone plate is decorated with a lion carved in circles. There is also a gorgeous octagonal seat under it, surrounded by finely carved dragon railings and a sentry box carved with lions. Looking at the overall modeling of huabiao is a sublimation on the basis of traditional forms. At the same time, we also see that Hua Biao is essentially a perfect symbol of the combination of Chinese and western cultures.
In fact,
The abutment, balustrade, walkway, atrium and stone bridge in the main hall of the Forbidden City are all organic combinations of various stone carving art forms. These stone carvings were re-carved after the original Ming dynasty ornamentation was chiseled out in the twenty-five years of Qianlong. However, from the existing decorative patterns of stone railings, we can still see that the stone carvings of the Forbidden City in the Ming and Qing Dynasties still inherited the decorative patterns and techniques since the Song and Yuan Dynasties. Throughout the court gardens in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the extensive use of architectural stone carvings can be said to be hard to see. They eloquently reflect the fact that the best and greatest buildings in the world are inseparable from stone carving decorative components. Among the royal gardens in Qing Dynasty, Yuanmingyuan is a great garden called "Garden of Ten Thousand Gardens". Sadly, it was burned by Eight-Nation Alliance in 1860. Today, we can still see some features of this unique ancient and modern garden architecture art from the stone carving architectural remains left in the garden ruins.
There are countless examples of the extensive use of stone carving art forms in Ming and Qing architecture. For example, the well-known Temple of Heaven in Beijing is the place where emperors of Ming and Qing Dynasties offered sacrifices to heaven and prayed for blessings. The pedestal, white stone altar and stone components under the main building are all carved with exquisite decoration. They were all created under the control of the imperial government to meet the needs of feudal rule and luxury life, which is also very prominent in the mausoleum building. There are a large number of stone carvings of Ming and Qing tombs in Fengyang, Anhui, Ming tombs in Nanjing, Ming tombs in Beijing, Qing tombs in Zunhua, Hebei and Qing tombs in Yixian, Hebei.
China Stone Carving Art Festival
China Stone Carving Art Festival-China Jiaxiang Stone Carving Art Festival.
China (Jiaxiang) Stone Carving Art Festival. Since 2004, the Stone Carving Art Festival with the theme of "Eternal Art Enjoyment, China Stone Carving Festival" has opened the curtain for the development of Jiaxiang stone carving art. Since then, there have been new goals and new achievements every year, and efforts have been made to integrate cultural creativity into stone carving products, further expanding the cultural connotation of stone carving industry and promoting the leap-forward development of stone carving cultural industry. On the day of the Art Festival, Jiaxiang Stone Carving Culture Square was filled with stone carvings of different styles, including the proud works of Jiaxiang craftsmen, excellent works from other famous stone carving towns in China, and a dazzling array of strange stones and various processing equipment ... A stone carving feast was held in Jiaxiang. In 2004, China (Jiaxiang) Stone Carving Art Festival kicked off in the large-scale cultural performance of "One side of the soil and water, entering Jiaxiang". The song "China-My Home" by the Tseng Clan Choir in Thailand sings the excitement of the Chinese nation. The profound stone carvings of Wu Tomb, the ancient international stone carving art avenue, the exquisite stone carvings that interpret modern fashion and the unique folk performances show Jiaxiang from many angles and in depth. In 2005, the China (Jiaxiang) Stone Carving Art Festival, with the theme of "Walking into Jiaxiang, Happiness and Auspiciousness", planned and held a stone carving art seminar, a trip to Ceng Zi's hometown, an international rare stone exposition and an exhibition of cross-strait celebrity calligraphy and painting exchanges, a forum on "Ceng Zi's filial piety and harmonious society", and the celebration of Zongsheng Ceng Zi's 25th/kloc-0th anniversary, which further demonstrated the "auspiciousness" of Jiaxiang culture. In 2006, China (Jiaxiang) Stone Carving Art Festival with the theme of "Harmony, Honesty and Charm" held the "Jiaxiang Cup" commendation meeting for the top ten filial stars in Shandong Province, the county economic development forum, the suona art performance and other activities, which further started the hometown of (filial piety), stone carving, suona and Jin Lu. In 2007, China (Jiaxiang) Stone Carving Art Festival held activities such as "Harmonious Beauty" Stone Carving Art Competition, "Stone Carving Art and Urban Sculpture" with the theme of "Promoting Stone Carving Art, Promoting Excellent Culture and Creating Charm Jiaxiang", advocating the development of creative stone carving industry and promoting the transformation of Jiaxiang stone carving from resource industry to cultural industry and high value-added industry, and from extensive management to standardized management and industrial upgrading.
Jiaxiang stone carving art takes local celestite as the main raw material, supplemented by marble, granite, white marble and other famous stones and jade, which integrates stone mining, creation and carving processing. The products mainly include Long Ting Dragon Column, Qionglou Jade Pavilion, big archway, flowers, birds and animals, antique utensils and so on. The artistic style is mainly noble and dignified classical artistic style, but also fresh, lively and profound modern artistic style. It enjoys the reputation of "outstanding" and "pioneering" at home and abroad. 1996, Jiaxiang County was named "the hometown of stone carving in China" by the state.