Ancient Images / Modern Techniques #
I see these kind of Chinese wood carvings all the time, being sold to buyers who are under the impression they are hand carved or worse, even believing they are antique. Which is why I think its worth sharing this collection of videos. There is no better way to learn then using your own eyes.
Apologies for the music but these videos are from the Chinese internet where it seems to be standard practice to adding in the most annoying music they can find.
Try to watch all the videos because its important to see the contrast between the two processes.
Hand carving wood #
These first two videos show the process of hand carving wood.
Notice how the process is messy, imperfect and it totally organic. It takes time, and the end result is a collaboration between man and material. It has its own flow. And the imperfections add up like the small lines of a sketch come together to create a picture. Its a lot more art then it is total product. The tools are mostly the same as they have been for ages. And the effort and focus put in is demanding and extensive.
Computer Carved (CNC) #
Lets have a look at the same process but employing the use of a computer controlled router.
Notice how quickly it shifts from “rough” to “almost perfect” once the router bit is switched to a finer grade? This cuts down on the need for additional sanding of minor touchups by hand.
And it gets worse. In the next video we see them being produced in large quantities.
The only thing organic about this process is the material. In fact, were it not for the use of wood, these pieces could have been made of plastic. Of course these items often end up being sold on eBay listed as “old, antique or vintage” which is clearly far from the truth.
CNC Chinese wood carvings sold on ebay #
A quick comparison #
Even without knowing anything about the techniques we can still see these two pieces are visually different. One has more of a natural flow to the it. The other is completely perfect. Flawless. And that’s a bad sign.
I will leave you with two final videos.
Read More on this topic: #
CNC WOODCARVING MACHINES: HAND CARVED VS. MACHINES #
Last week office staff went to an exhibition of new classical Chinese style furniture. There were not only furniture factories, but also those selling almost
