Cao Jieming, Dedicated She Inkslab Engraver

By staff reporter JIAO FENG

Cao Jieming, born in 1954, learned inkslab engraving as a boy from master of the craft Wang Lüsen. After 40 years of study and practice of inkslab engraving, Cao has evolved a distinctively refined style, apparent in strong but smooth carved lines. Cao’s representative works have won multiple awards at national and international exhibitions. In 2006, Cao was officially designated as national representative inheritor of the She inkslab making craft.

CURIOUS about the She inkslab making art and craft, and intent on exploring the broad and profound Hui Culture, we made a special trip to the city of Huangshan in Anhui Province, east China. There we met Cao Jieming, master of inkslab engraving, in the Anhui She Inkslab Factory in Shexian County. Influenced by traditional Chinese culture, Cao has since his youth been passionate about painting and calligraphy. In the refined, courteous manner that typifies traditional Chinese literati, Cao told us about his path along the craft of She inkslab engraving, from apprentice to master.

Rehabilitating a Traditional Craft

Mention of inkslabs brings to mind the Chinese wenfang sibao – Four Treasures of the Study, namely the writing brush, inkstick, inkslab, and rice paper. As essential tools of venerable Chinese literati, inkslabs, with their hard, impermeable texture, are often considered collectors’ items. The She inkslab was named after its place of origin, Shexian County. It has been acclaimed as one of the four famous inkslabs in China by virtue of its excellent quality, along with the Duan inkslab made in Zhaoqing of Guangdong Province, the Taohe inkslab of Taozhou, Gansu Province, and the Chengni inkslab produced in Jiangxian County, Shanxi Province.

According to Cao, the She inkslab is noted for its tough and tensile, fine and smooth texture, and beautiful veins. It does not absorb water or inflict harm on the writing brush, and ink ground on it is as silky as oil. The slab also emits a satisfying metallic ring when tapped. All these merits made it worthy as a royal tribute as far back as the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907). At the beginning of the 20th century, incessant wars and chaos stopped production of She inkslabs. Many crafters consequently sought work in more mundane occupations, and the future of She inkslab carving looked dim.

After the founding of the People’s Republic in 1949, and under the protection and support of the government, She inkslab making began to gather new development momentum. “In October 1964, with the production of the first She inkslab since the founding of New China, the craft was finally rehabilitated,” Cao recalled.

She inkslab engraving usually features traditional bas-relief in a distinctive local style, the result of learning and exchanges over generations among local inkslab engraving, woodblock carving, inkstick molding and brick sculpture craftsmen. “Certain local handicraft masters, like wood sculptor Wang Jinsheng and brick sculptor Fang Xinzhong, are good friends of mine. We often meet to compare notes. We are sculptors in different ways, so our works share many common elements,” Cao said.

From Apprentice to Master

During the “cultural revolution” Cao Jieming’s family background denied him access to local high schools after graduating from primary school. After consulting with friends, his father found a school for Cao outside their hometown. Unfortunately the admission notice got lost in the post. It was only when the school contacted him early in the new semester asking why he had not attended that Cao realized what had happened. But by then it was too late. Although he lost the opportunity to continue schooling, Cao did not give up study. After starting work, he spent his evenings buried in books and was eventually admitted to a secondary technical school.

“Our generation has undergone almost all the adversities that ever afflicted our country. When the three years of natural disasters ravaged the country [from 1959 to 1961], I was around six, and always felt hungry. It seemed to me that people should strive hard to improve their living, for example by mastering a skill. This would at least enable them to support themselves in the future. So when the She Inkslab Factory was recruiting workers in 1973, I applied and was taken on,” Cao said. It was his personal interest in painting and sculpture that made him choose to be an inkslab-making worker.

Cao’s father was a plate-making worker in a printing house. Under his influence, as a child Cao Jieming became fond of painting, and often drew pictures at home. “Because of the family’s economic plight at that time, we didn’t have toys or domestic appliances like a radio. We even had to use kerosene lamps at night. So drawing became my main enjoyment. One of my neighbors was an artist. During the day I would watch him paint, and at night I practiced drawing,” Cao recalled. “My later rapid progress could be partly attributed to this early training.” As an apprentice inkslab maker, Cao started with the elementary work of carving lines. His drawing skills, thanks to his love of art since childhood, soon caught the attention of Wang Lüsen, a master of the inkslab making craft.

Wang came from a family that had made inkslabs for three generations. He was hence a renowned inkslab sculptor and expert in antique-finish inkslab making, having written such representative works on the craft as Inkstone Types of All Dynasties in History and Antique-finished Tripod-fashioned Inkstones. “He commended my works, so I became his apprentice,” Cao said. This experience laid a solid foundation for Cao’s later achievements.

Hard Work Rewarded

Cao insists that he is an ordinary person of no extraordinary talents. He is adamant that if someone wants to achieve something, he must work hard.

Owing to his lack of systematic theory training, Cao puts a premium on self-study, and has bought various books on theories of painting and design. He also attaches importance to observances of life. He still has a vivid memory in that connection. “Once I engraved an eagle on an inkslab. The supervisor responsible for quality inspection pointed out that the eagle’s wings were not coordinated. He suggested that I observe flying eagles,” Cao said. Standing on a laundry stone at the riverside, he indeed studied the wing motions of eagles in flight. Based on these observations, he modified the carving, making it more vivid and lifelike than his first attempt. “All engraving works are based on life, so observation is vital to succeed in the craft. For example, the shapes of bamboo leaves differ in wind and in calm air. You can perceive this only by careful observation,” Cao said.

From the initial basic lines to complicated patterns, like figures and landscapes, Cao’s inkslab carving skills improved dramatically during the decade after he started work at the factory. His colleagues all admired his work. “As of 1983, my works became inspection-exempt products. Soon after gaining the factory leaders’ recognition, I was transferred to the product design team,” Cao said.

Cao was then not only designing but also responsible for making sample ink- slabs to send to clients. After confirmation, workers used these sample slabs as templates. Mass production followed. “Later I became a plant director, and then transferred to the production section,” Cao said.

Content to Instruct

The late 1990s witnessed massive restructuring and transition of multitudes of state-owned enterprises in China. To become more competitive and profitable, the She Inkslab Factory merged with the Hui Inkstick Factory of Shexian County. Most old inkslab factory workers either left, changed to other occupations or ran their own small inkslab businesses. At that time, Cao was the most experienced veteran in the factory. He, however, chose to stay.

The idea of becoming a sole trader had occurred to Cao, but after consideration, he rejected it. He realized that starting a business meant paying attention to details like operation, sales and the market. “I’m a craftsman, not a businessman. So my job is to produce good handicrafts. Besides, I think making the whole industry prosper relies on a collective force,” Cao said.

“The factory needed new workers. By staying here, I could train apprentices and pass my craft and skills on to new craftsmen. The factory has provided me with the scope to do that,” Cao said. Although many senior inkslab craftsmen have established individual workshops and prospered, Cao has never regretted his choice. “I’m adept at inkslab making, not trade. I’m just an ordinary person,” he said.

After the restructuring period, Cao was appointed vice director of the factory responsible for inkslab production. He spends most of his time in the workshop. When training apprentices, he inspects the quality of each inkslab produced. When he comes across one that is flawed, he usually modifies it personally. “My job is to give workers guidance, check their work, and teach them how to design and draw. At first I would give them the design drawing. Now, since their techniques have improved, I ask them to draw their own sketches, and modify them later. They make inkslabs according to these modified sketches,” Cao explained. “It had never occurred to me that one day I would be selected as a national intangible cultural heritage inheritor. Although it’s a kind of recognition by the country of my craftsmanship, I also feel burdened with more duty. This is not just a personal honor, but a responsibility to pass down the craft. I can’t allow it to be lost or forgotten,” Cao said. Apart from training apprentices in the factory, in his spare time Cao also teaches students in a local school She inkslab engraving skills. As of now, two years’ worth of graduates have taken up this occupation that constitutes intangible cultural heritage inheritance.

Today, although nearing retirement age, Cao has no intention of laying down his carving knife. “These days I don’t personally finish many works, usually one or two pieces a year. The best ones in recent years are the inkslabs with designs of the Water Cube and Bird’s Nest for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Last year, together with my apprentices, I made a one-ton inkslab in a dragon design,” Cao said. This inkslab won a golden award at the first China Mount Huangshan Intangible Cultural Heritage Artistry Exhibition held in 2012.

We saw this giant inkslab, 118 cm long, 18 cm high and 91.8 cm wide across its widest part, in the workshop. On the lower part are engraved 12 lifelike dragons in different postures against such patterns as juxtaposed ocean waves and auspicious clouds. With its dignified and imposing shape, the inkslab features fine, smooth engraved lines. Cao so explained the inspiration for his creation: Chinese have been called descendants of dragons, which explains why they take dragons as a theme. There is also an ancient Chinese saying, “Within the four seas all men are brothers.” The ocean waves signify that we love peace, and desire friendly communications with other countries, while auspicious clouds denote bliss and consummation.