Quyang Stone Carving 【 Hebei Quyang Specialty 】

The Annals of Quyang County records that "white stones have been unearthed in Mount Huangshan since ancient times, which can be used as steles, so there are many stone workers in villages around the mountain". According to existing historical records, Quyang stone carvings were already used in the construction industry as early as the Han Dynasty, more than 200 BC. There is a "Dog Tower" in the south of Quyang County, which is said to have been built by Emperor Guangwu of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Liu Xiu (25-55 AD), to commemorate a stray dog that had protected him from a fire. Local stonemasons were recruited to build it. During the Northern Wei Dynasty (386534 AD), the art of stone carving in Quyang had reached a considerable level. At that time, Buddhism was revered throughout the country, and there was a great deal of construction and temple building, which also promoted the development of various Buddha statues in Quyang stone carving. The Quyang stone carved Buddha statue has a solemn and beautiful shape, a serious and majestic appearance, or a gentle and dignified demeanor, with smooth lines. It is still the main traditional stone carving variety to this day. In 1953, more than 200 stone carvings such as Buddha statues and Diamond statues were excavated from the cultural relics unearthed from the ancient temple Xiude Temple. On the bases of these statues, there are engraved the era names and author names of Northern Wei Zhengguang (520-524 AD) and Eastern Wei Tianping (534-537 AD). After investigation, it was found that the above-mentioned authors are all from Quyang County. During the Tang and Song dynasties, the art of Quyang stone carving flourished and its works were spread to many parts of the country. In addition to stone carved Buddha statues, Quyang stone carved animals, fruits, and other artifacts have also been excavated and unearthed over the years. In a temple in the western suburb of Quyang County, there is still a White Marble standing Buddha of the Tang Dynasty. The Buddha statue is eight meters tall, with a solemn and majestic appearance. Its clothing has creases and clear and soft lines, making it extremely vivid and lively

The production method of Quyang stone carving

The traditional technique of Quyang stone carving is to use the face opening technique to draw a rough outline on the stone, first carving the nose, and then carving from head to toe in sequence, achieving "balance between inside and outside, and proportion coordination". Modern craftsmanship, on the other hand, is based on traditional craftsmanship and relies on technological power (electric tools) to use techniques such as circular carving, relief carving, and line carving, integrating anatomy and aesthetics. The carved works not only have noble and beautiful traditional characteristics, but also have a novel and bright spirit of the times