Kernel carving is a traditional micro-sculpture exclusively owned by China. Carved on the kernels of fruits or nuts, these handicrafts can be shaped into the figures of human, animals, landscapes and pavilions. Materials including walnut, peach nut, olive nut, apricot nut or cherry nut are applicable for kernel carving, among which the olive nut is the best option for engraving because it is as small as a finger, fully reflecting the precise skill of a handicraftsman.
The History of Kernel Carving
Kernel carving has a long history in China, but it was unclear about when it originated from; its earliest record was in the Song Dynasty, more than 1000 years ago.
Influenced by Buddhism, people usually carved the peach nuts and apricot nuts into the Chinese Zodiac animals, immortal beings, magical animals and auspicious playthings to wear them to expel evil things. Later, their originality and exquisite appeal saw to their popularization from the royal court to the common people. The intellectuals, merchants and officials loved to wear them as a sign of their status; the imperial palace even specially recruited skilled handicraftsman to carve kernels for nobles. Kernel carvings were used as the token of love in the ancient Jiaodong region, Shandong Province, where the girl usually presented the boy a pouch to show their love and the boy presented the girl a kernel carving instead.
According to the historical records, kernel carving reached a high point in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). In the reign of emperor Xuande (1426-1435), there was a skilled handicraftsman named Xia Baiyan, who could engrave 16 kids in a olive nut, each kid even as small as a half of rice grain. In the reign of Tianqi (1621-1627), the emperor Zhu Youxiao was not only an enthusiast of kernel carving but also a creator.
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