Tree Root Art: "the art with the most oriental characteristics"

THE SPIRIT OF TREE ROOT ART

Tree Root Art, which has been popular in China for centuries, is a joint work of man and nature. When working with tree roots, artists should make as little alternation as possible to preserve the root’s natural beauty and form. Yet artists’ imagination and carving skills turn pieces of natural root into art works that capture the unique Chinese histories and cultures. For that reason, Tree Root Art is also recognized as “the art with the most oriental characteristics”. 

In order to appreciate root carving fully, one must be aesthetic with a particular perception and understanding of art as well as a particular taste to what is pleasing to the senses, especially sight The essence of root carving lies between resemble and non-resemble. Only for those who are good at observing and discovering can explore the charms, wonders, oddness, and uniqueness from the shape of root carves; only for those who have wild imagination can understand the intention of the creator, or may even exceed the creator's imagination and discover a more profound connotation.

When compared with other kinds of art, one will find root carving has its own characteristics, and with that, “naturism” is the most prominent. While most of the other kinds of art are subjectively created by the artists, root art must be carved according to the natural form of the trees in order to preserve the root’s original shape, texture and color.  Root carving emphasizes natural beauty, which further displays its uniqueness. One will find "30% man's work and 70% God's work" in most pieces for root art. Unlike the majority artworks which can be reproduced or imitated, each piece of root art is one of its kind.  These unique characteristics makes root art collection extremely valuable.  

HISTORY OF TREE ROOT ART 

Early in 1982, Hebei Province Jingzhou museum discovered the first piece of root sculpture "Exorcism" from the Warring States. According to the China’s National Cultural Relic Department, this root sculpture was carved approximately between 340 B.C. and 270 B.C., which was about 2300 years ago. Simple yet filled with classical elegancy, the sculpture was shaped as a four-feet animal with tiger head, dragon body and rabbit tail. Later in the Sui and Tang dynasties, root art prospered with enhanced carving skill. According to "Li Mi’s Biography", Li Mi, a high-rank officer, carved a dragon claw with a natural tree root and gave it to the emperor as a gift. The root sculpture "Jade Exquisite Unicorn” and "Phoenix" from the Qing dynasty have been on display in the Shanghai Henan Exhibition until now. Since the third Plenary Session of the 11th National People’s Congress, the Chinese economy has been booming. This leaded to tremendous growth in the tree root art business. 

The documentary film “Root Art” in 1983 raised many interests to the World of Tree Root Art. In 1985, a Chinese Tree Root Art Exhibition was held in the National Art Museum. Later in the same year, the China Root Art Academic Association (CRAAA) was established. All these factors helped Chinese root art step onto a standardization and academic development path. In September 1994, authorized by Bureau of Civil Administration, the CRAAA advanced from a 2^nd level to a 1^st level national academic society. Since then, CRAAA has developed more than 40 roots art associations in different provinces. The popularity and quality of root art creation has achieved a new level.  

"Root cutting has made a lot of progress over the past 20 years in terms of people taking it up or its related theoretic researches. Root carving has become the most popular craft form in China," Ma Siji, director of the Chinese Society of Root Carving said. 

With its artistic power, natural wonder and ingenuity, tree root art will be definitely loved by more people in the world.