Carving, also known as hollowing out, is the process of removing the parts of the stone that do not represent the object, but preserving the parts of the original stone that can represent the object. Like ancient dragon carvings, while emptying the dragon's mouth, it is necessary to preserve a "bead" in the mouth. This "bead" is a part of the raw material, and the sculptor carefully chisels it inside with a fine knife through the small "dragon mouth" to carve out a "bead". This "bead" peels off the original stone to make it roll freely, but it is larger than the "dragon mouth" and will not roll out of it
  & The "Seeking Rooster" created by Chen Jingxiang, a famous stone carving artist in Shoushan, Fuzhou in 1955, is also a typical work of Shoushan stone carving. He carved a chicken cage with a piece of Shoushan stone, and then extended his knife into the cage through the small space of the cage. Using the original stone, he carved another chicken vividly, which was collected by the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. In the future, Fuzhou Shoushan stone carving artists will learn more from Chen Jingxiang's carving technique of "Seeking Couple Chicken", becoming a symbol of Shoushan stone art.

  & nbsp;     The stone used for hollow carving must be of fine and pure quality, especially the hollow parts, and should not have cracks or high-density sand barriers, otherwise it is easy to cause fracture. The tools used for "hollowing out" not only require general carving tools, but also special long arm chisels, scraping knives, shovel bottom knives, hook shaped knives, and small saw blades.

  & nbsp;     Hollow out "is often combined with circular carving or other techniques to become an integral part of a work. Due to significant limitations in the use of knives for carving internal scenery, the only way to overcome operational difficulties is to rely on expanding the direction of the knife. Therefore, the design requirements for hollowed out scenery are preferably multi-faceted and transparent. Generally speaking, the more directions there are for transparency, the denser the voids, the easier it is to carve, and the better the effect.

  & nbsp;       The order of hollow carving is "outside first, then inside". The hollow carving should be carried out only after the outer scenery and other supporting scenery have been formed and the chiseling process has been completed. Taking a birdcage as an example, the carving steps are as follows:

1. Engrave the external scenery and the shape of the birdcage.

2. Use a brush to draw the structure of each part of the birdcage, and mark the position and dynamics of the birds and scenery inside the birdcage.

3. Select appropriate specifications of drilling tools, drill holes into the inner layer from various angles, and then use a long arm chisel to connect and remove excess stones from the inner layer. The stone layer removed by each knife should be smaller than the hollow hole for easy removal. Gradually chisel out the initial layers of birds and scenery.

4. Use specialized tools such as scraping knives, bottom shovels, and small saws to insert into the cage through the grid holes, finely decorate the internal scenery, and strive for clarity. Be particularly careful when operating, it is advisable to use a vertical knife and apply force towards the depth to prevent the handle from blocking the exterior. After the interior is fully completed, proceed with the exterior lighting.