The doors of perception

• Source: Global Times
• [09:54 July 21 2010]
• Comments

Because of the cultural differences, Chinese door carving varies greatly from its counterpart in the West. Objects such as animals, plants and landscapes feature prominently, while in the West these depictions tend to be found adorning walls and ceilings. Despite this, the West has a huge market for this style of carving and, according to Zhang Bo, this has made it possible for cheap poorly-made doors to have been sold abroad for years.

"There are many ways to tell if a carved door is well-made or not," he said. "You can tell a lot about a carving by the wood used, and those designed in the Ming Dynasty are considered the best. Anhui and Shaanxi are both good areas for carving but, as most experts will tell you, the best come from Dongyang in Zhejiang province."

Originating craft

In traditional Chinese architecture, doors and windows are thought of as harmonious links to the spiritual realm that separates heaven and earth. This form of entrance woodcarving style is seen as a homage to this concept, originating in Dongyang around the early Tang Dynasty (618– 907). However it wasn't until the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1644-1911) that Dongyang woodcarving really flourished and became highly sought. At that time the area was the national base for woodcarving, producing a large number of ornamental architectural components designed for palaces, temples, gardens, and folk houses. Many people have tried to pass off imitations of the Dongyang style of woodcarving but to a trained expert there is no substitute. Carving in China can supposedly be traced back to the New Stone Age, but it wasn't until Dongyang woodcarving came along that the art was considered one of the best folk handicrafts in Asia and a Chinese national treasure.