Liuqing Bamboo Carving is one of the “three treasures” in Changzhou City, Jiangsu Province. It is a kind of Chinese traditional carving art and a precious Chinese industrial art. In 2008 it was selected into the first batch of State-level Non-material Cultural Heritage Extended Projects List.
Liuqing Bamboo Carving is a bamboo carving art that takes a thin layer of Bamboo Green on the surface of bamboo as the depiction object, and by scalping the Bamboo Green outside the figure and exposing the Bamboo Muscle under the Bamboo Green, a change to the bottom of the figure is produced on the whole carving figure. It has very high technical requirements to the craftsmen, who need to be very patient and meticulous and careful, also a certain fine arts culture is needed.
Usually, people will make pen holder, arm rest, cassette, fan bone and other traditional utensils with Liuqing Bamboo Carving. The elaborate carving methods make these bamboo wares have a bright and smooth color and luster in appearance, and they can be used for touching and playing and gentle stroking regularly. The longer the age is, the deeper the color of the Bamboo Muscle is, which would be smooth as fat and gentle as jade, and the color and luster approximately like the amber, and at the same time, the clearer and more prominent the figure section is.
Because of its high demand for technics, in China, people who mastered this artistry were once very rare. Now, there are some arts and crafts masters to regain the artistry, they draw nutrients from the calligraphy and painting art to enrich the bamboo carving art. Regardless of the subject matter, technique and uses, they all enjoy tremendous honors and attract much attention.
