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Hundred-year history in incense
Statue Sprucing Craftsmanship
The belief in gods and Buddhas is the daily life of the Taiwanese. There are various temples worshiping gods and Buddhas scattering throughout the streets and alleys. For the statues of gods and Buddhas worshiped in both temples and at home, these exquisitely carved statues not only serve as people’s religious beliefs and spiritual sustenance, but also reflect the miraculous traditional craftsmanship of “statue sprucing.”
Statue sprucing is the traditional craftsmanship of carving statues of gods. Statue carving methods include wood carving, clay sculpture, stone carving, and other techniques. Statue sprucing mainly combines wood carving and lacquer art, and even includes religious rituals, hardware accessory installation, etc. The process of statue sprucing is extremely complicated and meticulous, and it requires very high technical skills from a craftsman. If a craftsman does not have great enthusiasm and extraordinary perseverance, it will be difficult for him/her to persevere to the end.
It has been said that the statue sprucing craftsmanship in Taiwan originated from Fujian and Changhua. Lukang was once one of the important towns for statue sprucing. However, with the changes of the times, the traditional craftsmanship has gradually declined. In the sluggish market of statue sprucing, Master A-fa has created a new path for traditional craftsmanship through superb craftsmanship and exquisite carving techniques.
Ministry of the Interior listed Nanyao Temple as Class III historic relic
Traditionally, the statue sprucing production process is quite secretive and rigorous, and most of the techniques are passed down from father to son or from master to apprentice. In the statue sprucing process, there are established specifications required to be followed at each stage. Sometimes craftsmen must also perform religious rituals or perform purification and fasting to show respect for gods and Buddhas.
