Shanghai-style Red Sandalwood Carving

Shanghai-style red sandalwood carving is a traditional Chinese rosewood carving art. In modern times, artisans of this style have skillfully blended Western sculpture techniques with traditional Chinese red sandalwood carving, resulting in distinct regional characteristics that set Shanghai-style red sandalwood carvings apart.

Shanghai-style red sandalwood carving boasts a long history, with origins traced back to the Ming Dynasty. The founding artisan, Tu Shiyu, was renowned for his craftsmanship, with his works being lauded as "the great skills of the Ming Dynasty" by his contemporaries. His successor, Tu Wenqing, gained recognition from the Qing Palace's "Zaobanchu" (Imperial Workshop) for his mastery of the "Su-style" red sandalwood carving.

In the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, Tu Jingshu established a mahogany workshop in the old city of Shanghai, specializing in small pieces, particularly red sandalwood carvings. His son, Tu Hanmin, learned the craft from his father and later studied in the United States, where he became a professor at Harvard University and mastered Western sculpture techniques. His works exemplify the integration of Shanghai-style red sandalwood carving with Western sculpture art. Today, the Tu family descendants continue this legacy, carrying forward the "red sandalwood gene" of their ancestors. After studying abroad, they returned to Shanghai and have since focused on the art of red sandalwood carving, particularly excelling in creating large-scale works.

Shanghai-style red sandalwood carving has innovated traditional tools to better handle the hard red sandalwood material, enhancing both efficiency and the quality of craftsmanship. These carvings cover a broad range of subjects, featuring exquisite craftsmanship, vibrant and refined knife techniques, and enjoy a high reputation both domestically and internationally.