Carving Art: A Unique Chinese Art

Author: Deng Sanmu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: The Art of Seal Carving is the posthumous work of Deng Sanmu, a renowned seal carver and calligrapher (1898–1963). He dedicated his life to the art of seal carving and calligraphy, and this book is a compilation of his insights and experiences summarized over decades of practice. The text discusses and introduces the origins of seals, various schools of seal carving, composition, and carving techniques, providing detailed yet concise explanations. It particularly offers unique perspectives on composition analysis. Moreover, the book is richly illustrated with dynamic and elegant calligraphy, serving as both a specialized treatise on seal carving theory and technique and a model for practicing seal carving and calligraphy.
The preliminary draft of The Art of Seal Carving was Deng Sanmu’s lecture notes from the 1930s, which were revised and expanded over time to become the final version. This book is a summary of his lifelong experience in seal carving and is an invaluable authoritative work for studying the art of seal carving. The original lecture notes were written in Yan-style regular script. To accommodate modern readers while preserving the original style, we have added a horizontally printed version, which accompanies the facsimile edition, hoping it will be beneficial to readers.