China News Service, Heze, December 3rd (Xiao Shouxiang) "One side of the inkstone has to go through ten processes such as stone selection, grinding, design, rough carving, fine carving, modification, polishing, wax baking, and inkstone inscription. The interlocking is indispensable. Stone selection is the foundation, and good inkstones come out of good materials, and the stone pattern layer, color, shape, and thickness must be considered comprehensively." December 3, Qianwangzhuang Village, Hetaoyuan Town, Juye County, Heze, Shandong Xu Yongchang, a stone carving expert, holds a carving knife in his studio and engraves a "Jinshan Inkstone" on a piece of stone. The collision between the knife and the stone is free and easy.
Because the stone used to make the inkstone comes from Jinshan, it is named "Jinshan Inkstone".
In December 2020, the expert appraisal meeting of "New Variety of Lu Inkstone——Development and Research of Jinshan Inkstone" was held in Jinan.
Xu Yongchang is making Jinshan Inkstone.
Photo by Xiao Shouxiang
Jinshan is located in Hetaoyuan Town, Juye County. It is named after "cutting stones to get gold".
The value of Jinshan Stone has been re-recognized, thanks to the fact that in January 2020, the Rural Revitalization Service Team of Hetaoyuan Town, Paijuye County, Shandong Province organized experts to visit the village and put forward suggestions for rational use of Jinshan Stone resources and innovative research and development of Jinshan Inkstone series of handicrafts.
"Especially in June 2020, Fan Yuqing, a master of Lu Yan, came to the local area for inspection and believed that Jinshan Stone has the characteristics of fine and moist texture, gorgeous color, various textures, and fine ink. It is a good inkstone." Xu Yongchang said: "At that time, I felt that Jinshanshi's 'spring' had come."
The finished Jinshan Inkstone.
Photo by Xiao Shouxiang
The "value" of Jinshan stones that can be seen everywhere on the roadside in the past has skyrocketed.
"Such a piece of Jinshan stone can be sold for hundreds or even thousands of yuan after carving." Xu Yongchang said.
Xu Yongchang is a native of Qianwangzhuang, Taoyuan Town. Qianwangzhuang Village is only a few kilometers away from Jinshan Mountain. It is also known as "Stone Village". It is an ancient village with a history of more than 500 years.
There are many stone carving factories in the village, as well as many stone carving artists. Xu Yongchang grew up with stone houses, stone roads, stone mills, and stone carvings, and grew up listening to the sound of stone carvings.
In particular, the lifelike and lifelike stone carving products in the stone carving factory made him have a strong interest in stone carving art.
In 1993, Xu Yongchang, who graduated from junior high school, picked up a carving knife and began to learn carving.
In order to learn carving techniques, Xu Yongchang once worked as an apprentice in a stone carving factory, humbly asked for advice from old stone carving artists in surrounding villages, and studied hard.
In 2010, Xu Yongchang learned carving techniques from master sculptor Wang Zhonghui. His stone carving skills became more and more proficient, and he became a well-known stone carving expert in ten miles and eight towns.
Xu Yongchang said that the craftsmanship of Jinshan stone carving is a unique traditional hand-carving technique in Juye County, which has been passed down for more than a hundred years.
In the past, due to the hard texture of Jinshan stone, it was rarely used for carving. It mainly produced large-scale unicorn stone carvings, small stone carving ornaments, stone tablets and other utensils.
In Xu Yongchang's eyes, every stone has its own characteristics and unique vitality.
“Design is the key to a good inkstone. It needs to be carefully considered and made according to the material. The composition must not only maintain the original ecology, but also give new connotations. What is sought is to have both spirit and shape, so that a stone can show its most beautiful side. "Xu Yongchang believes that making inkstone is like being a human being, the artistic conception must be fresh, the mood must be peaceful, and the sense of proportion must be grasped.
Relying on my own understanding and perception, I carved out one side after another full of charm, injecting new life and vitality into the simple and simple stone.
"This moment is nearly thirty years."
Xu Yongchang went up the mountain to select Jinshan Stone.
Photo by Xiao Shouxiang
Xu Yongchang continued to innovate on the basis of traditional carving techniques, incorporating Juye's unique elements of Han culture, unicorn culture, peony culture, local folklore, customs, etc. Calligraphy, designing and writing Jinshan inkstone inkstone inscription patterns, innovatively produced more than 30 varieties of rectangular inkstone, square inkstone, octagonal inkstone, skip-shaped inkstone, Chaoshou inkstone, tiled inkstone, and shape inkstone, realizing the shape, decoration, The harmony and unity of the carving, the works achieve the artistic effect of making the stone as beautiful as possible, and carving as much as possible, which has high practical value, ornamental value and collection value.
At present, Juye County has set up a special leading group to protect the stone materials used to make Jinshan inkstones, further improve the quality of Jinshan inkstones, and intensify the development of Jinshan inkstones.
"The carving value of Jinshan stone has just started, and the development potential is huge. I will continue to improve my carving skills, strive for perfection, grow together with 'Jinshan inkstone', and make Jinshan inkstone a cultural and tourism product that goes to the whole country." Xu Yongchang said.
(Finish)