Ziying's Brush
BEGINNING with the veneration for jade, which is deemed to possess mystical qualities, stone has been an object of fascination in
China for thousands of years.
I remember visiting a showroom in
Wuhan years ago where every shiny cross-section of rock resembled a landscape of moon and mountain, while in
Sichuan’s Jiangyou the “offerings” of roast pork and sausages at a small temple were in fact chunks of mineral looking uncannily like the real thing. Others, like
Luoyang’s speckled, flowery black stones and the shiny river pebbles of
Nanjing, have simply been polished to reveal the beauty of their veins, colouring or patterns.
The craftsmen of Shoushan village are renowned for stone-carving.
Among the clearest manifestations of stone fervour (some say obsession) are the rockeries in Chinese gardens. At
Suzhou’s Unesco-listed garden-mansions, large, fantastically shaped pieces of limestone from
Taihu Lake stand in picture-perfect settings of man-made ponds, streams and “mountains”. In the past, this craze for heavily eroded rock with deep crevices and perforations has been known to drive enthusiasts to bankruptcy.
Though more prosaic, it is perhaps no surprise, given the rocky, mountainous topography of
Fujian province, that its craftsmen seem to have a particular affinity for stone.
In the industrial districts north of
Xiamen, modern factories specialising in cutting granite and marble into utilitarian items like tiles and tabletops are visible from the highway. Away from the metropolitan areas, small stonemasons’ workshops flank stretches of road. Indeed, an architect friend on his first trip to
Fujian was so taken with what he saw that he declared: “This is stone heaven.”
Collectors have been known to pay astronomic prices for unusual pieces of rock. Unlike gold which has a fixed market value, a stone’s worth is determined not only by its rarity but also by its appeal to the buyer and, increasingly so, by investment value.
We often hear of phenomenal prices paid for jade, but I never imagined that a soft, waxy-textured stone could be more expensive than gold. The source of this multi-coloured rock (agalmatolite) is none other than
Fujian province’s Shoushan village, less than an hour north of the provincial capital
Fuzhou.
It is said there were originally 130 types of shoushan stone but only 50 to 60 varieties exist today, of which the most valuable is the rare
tianhuang; apparently, a good quality piece can fetch well over 100,000 yuan (RM50,000) per liang (50g).
While steering me through the exhibits on shoushan carvings in Fujian Museum’s Rare Crafts Gallery, my guide Ms Qiu, said: “Not so long ago, a record price of 80,000 yuan (RM40,000) was paid for a 1cm long tianhuang pendant,” a stratospheric sum which far exceeds the adage “one liang of tianhuang is worth 3 liang of gold”. No wonder tianhuang fans dub it the “king of stones”.
The value of shoushan is, of course, enhanced by the romantic legends surrounding its origins. A popular one says the rocks are the multi-hued eggs of a five-coloured phoenix, while another claims the albumin from the eggs seeped into the soil, creating colourful nuggets. Yet another myth relates that shoushan evolved from the magic material that the goddess Nuwa used to patch holes in the heavens with; apparently, she buried the leftovers in the mountains which eventually resulted in variegated rock.
Shoushan stone is popularly used for name seals and ornamental items.
When I visited Shoushan village two years ago, the narrow “main street” was flanked by cramped workshops with residential quarters upstairs. Chunks of raw rock with pink, orangey-red or yellowish veins spilled onto the street from the shallow sidewalks. Inside the tiny workshops and oblivious to their dreary surroundings, artisans were hard at work transforming nuggets into auspicious designs and dreamy landscapes. I had no idea then that this ramshackle village, which looked like a scene from the past, contained such sought-after treasure.
The stone-carvers of Shoushan are the inheritors of a tradition that dates back at least 1,500 years. Initially, the stone was used primarily for religious items like Buddha figurines and incense burners, as well as for burial objects, but it later became a popular medium for name seals and ornamental pieces. A key principle for the artisan is respect for the colouration and patterns of the nugget, creating designs that best preserve and suit its natural qualities.
Shoushan is so highly regarded that it is considered
China’s national stone and bestowed upon visiting dignitaries as state gifts as well as presented as commemorative keepsakes on important occasions.
In December 2007, the organising committee of the 2008 Beijing Olympics announced that specially designed shoushan seals have been included in the official list of limited edition “Olympic Fine Products”. The seals are carved with a motif of the peony, which is regarded as
China’s national flower, besides being a symbol of prosperity. In view of the importance of the 2008 Olympics to the nation, this is perhaps one of the highest honours conferred upon this revered rock from
Fuzhou.
Linear Mode
