Features of Tibetan Folk Wood Carvings

Features of Tibetan Folk Wood Carvings – Brief Introduction

The Tibetan folk wood carvings are particularly characterized by its exaggeration and comprehension which focus on the matching of the content on the premise of catching the features of the target. There are a lot of exaggerate wood carving works, such as the basin-big lotus flower, the big-headed and small-bodied flying beauty, the long-browed and big-eyed goblin, the beast-big fruit, and the umbrella-big leaf. The folk artists have a rich experience in exaggeration. There is an old Tibet saying goes that a hundred ponds goat with two 3 meters horns and a long tail on the ground. There are some vivid show-style figures in the wood carvings. They are exaggerating, but they present the essence and contents of things exactly.

The exaggeration would not make us feel the works are unreal; on the contrary, they strengthen the expression and the artistic appeal of the works. The shrines worshiped in the peasants' families are wood carvings. There is a carved statue of the Auspicious Mother on the edge of the shrine. The Auspicious Mother is also called the Mule God. She keeps fighting against the demons and monsters, and guarding the peace of the world. The Auspicious Mother is much bigger than the demons under her feet. Her exaggerate gesture makes people feel she possesses an conquering power.

Features of Tibetan Folk Wood Carvings – Method of Expression

Exaggeration is also related to the connection of the works. For example, among the common works of plants, the leaf would be expressed by two points, the stem would be expressed by a curve, the grass, tree, and flower would be expressed by verticals and horizontal strikes. They connected closely and also bonded with the outline. They just looked clean and tidy without any superfluous strokes.

There is a wood carving scripture of early Tibet in a peasant family in Dingri County. Its figure carving is pretty special: the eyes were expressed by two points, the eyebrows were expressed by two curves, and the upper part of the nose and the lower part of the mouth were omitted (we can only see the front part of the nose and the upper lip). Since the artist had done an appropriate exaggeration to the work, and intentionally extended the necessary points and lines. That made the work look more vivid rather than unreal.

The characterization of the Tibet folk wood carving would be easily involved into a process of stereotype. But the stereotype is not a weakness for some of the decoration arts. On contrary, it would strengthen the artistic appeal. The experienced sculptors could make change on the base of the real life, and make the works outstanding out of the ordinary.

Features of Tibetan Folk Wood Carvings – Method of Exaggeration

In order to manage a better exaggeration and comprehension, the Tibet folk wood carving pays a lot of attention to the simplification of the target while they taking the method of exaggeration. But this kind of simplification only simplifies its appearance rather than its essence. Take the lotus flower carved on the Tibet-style desks and lockers as an example. The lotus flower was greatly simplified in the premise of the catching of its characteristics. Its petals were expressed by simple outlines. Have a glance of the flower, you will found its appearance and essence are so real, live, and looks so free and beautiful.

The flower carving in Tashilhunpo Monastery is much more exaggerating, such as the "Bodhi Leaf', "Golden Budhi Flower", and "Dragon Bone Flower". There are obvious exaggeration and change, but they have a strong picture effect and simple beauty since their appearance and essence were expressed exactly. The appearance of the work requires an exaggerating and obvious change while the essence of the work requires an inherent comprehension. Sometimes the carving of the targets needs a simplification while sometimes it needs a slick-up. The carving works should express a rich essence with fewer lines.