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Idol carvers

Idol carvers carved various Chinese deities out of wood for worship. They were usually Cantonese and Hockchews, working in the Chinatown area. Their work involved not only fine craftsmanship but an understanding of Chinese gods and goddesses.

History
Idol carvers are believed to have established their trade in Singapore in the late 1890s. Idol carving was a family trade finely honed in China and brought to Singapore through immigrant Chinese. The tradesmen were commonly found around Club Street area and its adjoining Gemmil Lane. Idol carvers traditionally carved Taoist and Buddhist idols but some of their tasks included appraisal and repair of antiques and other wood work. Apart from being skilled craftsmen, idol carvers had to possess good knowledge of various Chinese deities; their unique poses, expressions and other details. Chinese New Year was boom time for the idol carving business as many sought new idols for the new year.

Job scope
Most idol carvers carved deities in traditional poses, based on designs passed down through the generations. However, their task was made more challenging as customers could request for specific expressions or poses for their idols. Added to this, the innumerable Chinese deities had unique requirements for different families, based on their surnames. Once the customer decided on the size of the deity, expression and other fine details, the idol carver set out to carve. An auspicious day was chosen for the task and prayers were offered to different gods to assist them in their task. Teak, sandal wood or cedar were preferred because they were tough and termite resistant. The wood was usually imported from China. The idols were usually between six to eight inches tall.

The idol carver began by painstakingly carving the features of the idol. The finished idol was sand papered and smoothened, then waxed with a mixture of varnish and incense powder or wood powder and Chinese paint. The wax, a thick, glutinous, semi-solid mass, was flattened on a marble slab. One end of the flattened wax was thinned out, drawn out as thin strings and rolled around a stick. The wax strings were unrolled on the idol to form intricate patterns for example a sleeve or a necklace. The idol was then usually fully varnished using plain varnish imported from China. The idol was then dried and gold leaf pasted on it before it was finally painted to make the finished product.

Development
Idol makers got their business mainly from individuals, temples and tourists. Difficulties in their trade began when clay idols from Taiwan were imported en mass. The clay idols looked similar to wooden idols that the local craftsmen carved and were much cheaper. Temple-commissioned idols also declined with time, hampered by the fact that bigger temples brought in carvers from China.



Author
Naidu Ratnala Thulaja



References
Sullivan, M. (1993). "Can survive, la": Cottage industries in high-rise Singapore (pp. 211-218). Singapore: Graham Brash.
(Call no.: RSING 338.634095957 SUL)

Celestial beauties. (1987). Goodwood Journal, 4th Qtr., 33-37.
(Call no.: RCLOS 052 GHCGJ) 

Beauty on wood. (1982). Goodwood Journal, 2nd Qtr., 17, 19.
(Call no.: RCLOS 052 GHCGJ)


Further Readings
National Heritage Board. (n.d.). Archives & Artefacts Online, Singapore. Retrieved January 27, 2003, from www.a2o.com.sg 

The information in this article is valid as at 2003 and correct as far as we can ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.

Subject
Commerce and Industry>>Labour and Employment>>Vanishing Trades
Carvers (Decorative artists)--Singapore
Business, finance and industry>>Economics>>Labour economics
Arts>>Decorative arts>>Carving and carvings



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