The Olneyville tribune. (Providence, R.I.) 1893-189?, 1893-09-02
CARVED FRUIT STONES.
How the Patient Chinaman Beauties
Articles OF Nature.

Nothing is wasted in China. The
stones of various fruits and the shells of
nuts are cleaned, dried and carved into
ornaments OF the most graceful kind.
Among the stones used are the olive,
plum, peach and cherry, and of the shells
the walnut and cocoanut. The stones
are collected with care; each must ex-
ceed a certain standard Of size, proper
ton, hardness and weight. They are
dried slowly and al such heat as not 70
the carver The designer makes a rough
outline Of the future group or picture and
hands it over to his boys or apprentices.
These work with great rapidity, and
soon block out the design, cutting
through the hard, ligneous tissue, and
then extract the kernel. A second treat
ment now takes place to dry the interior
of the shell, as well as to prevent the
fine lining of the interior from under
going decomposition. This completed,
the designer sketches a second outline,
and also indicates Ivy his pencil or brush
where the surfsce is to be manipulated,
made into leaf work or arabesque or be
cut altogether away. The work is per-
formed by the subordinates, as at first.
The designer then does the finishing
touches, after which the assistants clean,
polist and oil or wax the perfect carv-
ing The stones are sold in this shape TO
quite large extent, but more largely in
other forms. Among these may be men
toned buttons, watch charms, sleeve
links, earrings and brooches, and when
strung together, bracelets, anklets, neck
oh oL - ~
ornaments. The price of stone varies
greatly with the workmanship and the
fame of the carver. Some may be bought
as low as sd. apiece, Others command as
high as IS. and 12s. each. The average
price is Is. Sd. stone. with handsome
discount for purchases in quantity. The
The carvings display great variety and
beauty.
One class represents punches of flowers
and leaves, in which pistils, stamens and
tendrils are accurately executed. SINH
lar to these are fruits and flowers and
flowers and leaves A second class is
composed of carvings of birds, reptiles
and higher animal. The dragon, griffin,
stork, horse, lion, tiger, camel, elephant
and bull are the favorite figures.
canon in Chinese carving is to reproduce
only those animals which have been
deitied and those mentioned are about
the only ones which have enjoyed divine
honors. A third class, aud by far the
most interesting, comprises groups of
human figures, representing scenes in
history, poetry, mythology and the
drama.
The work is often so fine as to be mi
oroscopic in its delicacy, in fact, the fin
ishing touches are made by the artist
while using magnitying glass of at
least fifty diameters. On stones not over
an inch in length along their major axis
it is not uncommon to find eight, nine or
ten characters in different attitudes and
costumes. Unlike most phases of Chinese
art, there is much regard paid to per-
spective and loreshortening Some Of
these pieces might have been made by
Hindoo or Italian artists, so free are they
from local conventionalism. Neverthe-
less in the main, conventionalism is all
prevailing. -[London Art Journal.