Shoushan ()
stone carving is an art originating in
Fujian Province
Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its ...
() in
East China
East China () is a geographical and a loosely defined cultural region that covers the eastern coastal area of China.
A concept abolished in 1978, for economical purposes the region was defined from 1949 to 1961 by the Chinese Central Governme ...
.
The stones used in carving are also known as
agalmatolite
Pagodite or agalmatolite is a variety of pyrophyllite used by Chinese artisans for carvings in pagodas and similar objects. Usually soft and sometimes soapy, it can be a greyish green or greyish yellow colour.[< ...]
and are mined in the Shoushan village in northern Fujian. Use of the stone for carving can be traced back as far as the
Southern dynasties and have long been used to produce handicrafts and later on in the
Ming dynasty, seals.
See also
*
Shou (character)
''Shòu'' () is the Chinese word/character for "longevity".
Use
Three of the most important goals in life in Chinese traditional thought are the propitious blessings of happiness (''fú'' ), professional success or prosperity (''lù'' ), a ...
, meaning longevity
External links
A Mineralogical and Petrographical Study of Shoushan Stone (Agalmatolite)
{{Fujian topics
Chinese sculpture
Fujian