鐵軸|Shaft or mandrel for jade carving

Unknown

20th century · Steel · Asian Art

These steel drills with blunt points (zhuangding or dingzi in Chinese), flat heads (tuozi), or curving heads (wazi) are used for high relief carving, undercutting, and fine shaping of small jade works. The craftsman holds the jade in one hand against the drill, which is mounted on a spinning shaft. He or she rotates the shaft using foot treadles, while continuously applying abrasives, usually sand mixed with water, to the tip of the drill, which cuts the jade.

Artist

Unknown

Date

20th century

Medium

Steel

Culture

China

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Gift of Joan Hartman-Goldsmith, 1981