In the studio of Yao Shirong, an inheritor of metal chiseling, which is an intangible cultural heritage of Suzhou, the 73-year-old craftsman was decorating his new work on October 8. Titled Fragrant Lotus Flowers, the 0.820-meter-long and 0.32-meter-wide metal chiseling piece was the largest one he created in 2017, for which Yao Shirong had to use hammer and chisel to work on the copper sheet for more than three months, four to five hours per day.
According to Yao Shirong, the metal chiseling technique appeared in the Tang Dynasty and reached the peak in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Hammer, chisel and cushion are used to create 3D patterns on gold and silver objects, involving a range of procedures such as annealing, outlining and chiseling.
Born in a silversmith's family, Yao Shirong liked painting, carving and paper cutting since childhood, and is very interested in the family skill of metal chiseling. After retiring from the Suzhou Mould Manufacturing Center at the age of 55, he devoted himself to the world of metal chiseling.
