10 Aug 2019 Chinese Cork Art

Have you heard of cork art? Well, cork is very rare but is a very beautiful medium of handicraft in some parts of the globe. China for instance is the leading craft place for cork art.

Here is a brief history: The cork sculpture or the cork art is a type of modern art and is not an ancient art. The art started back about a hundred years ago. Though cork production is most prevalent among the Portuguese, cork carving is associated with Fuzhou in Fujian province in south-east China.

Chinese Cork Art Swan

Here is how cork is extracted: Most of cork in the market is the renewable outer bark tissue peeled off from the cork oak tree. Once the trees are about 25 years old, the cork tissue is debarked every nine years. The process does not injure the tree. Cork oaks live for about 200 years. A tree in its prime, at roughly 80 years old, might yield 440 pounds of cork. The best part is, as cork is harvested sustainably, the cork forest remains fairly undisturbed and has become a safe haven for many an endangered species. Cork is also easily recyclable. Cork is impermeable, buoyant, elastic, durable, rot-resistant and fire resistant.

Cork Sculpture – Panda

Chinese cork carving is also known as cork sculpture, is a typical Chinese artwork mostly depicting intricate landscapes and their wild species. Once the concept structure is ready, it is then hand carved, glued together and lacquer painted. This is an art of making pictures with the cork bark of trees like the oriental oak. The cork is cut, carved and arranged into pictures. Craft Montaz has collected these exclusive pieces of artwork and are for sale for exquisite art collectors.

Chinese Panda

If you have a house or office space or shop designed in modern woody theme, or oriental style or even tradition style, cork pictures can go well with any of the décor theme. Browse more of our exclusive and unique handicraft products sourced from the most authenticated part of the globe and be a rich craft collector.

By: Pushpita, a freelance writer on world handicrafts and lifestyle. Pushpita holds a Masters in English literature and is a rich media professional.