樟木頭:關公像

Complex of Love

- Woodcarving:  Sculpture of Guan Gong

2008年谷主在香港維園花展中古月子教授展覽攤位中購買了一個木雕，在這裡介紹一下．

關公像闊8.5cm，高35cm，甚重．少少一節樹幹已有30個年輪，相信此樹原身當有數百年樹齡．木頭年輪明顯，是四季分明的南方木材．木質堅硬，適合較幼細的雕刻．

雕刻手工粗糙，沒有做後期修飾．雕刻在短時間內完成，卻是雕刻家３０年的功力．雕刻家以心中關公形象為本，從刀傳到木頭上，落刀一氣呵成，不猶豫，不反覆，作品乘載著靈氣．

當天購買時，有多個關公像選擇．粗看一模一樣，仔細觀察，卻略有不同．手持一像，並不完美，放下再持，再放下．幾經掙扎，卻下不定決心．繞場一周後 才將心中執著放下，隨緣購買．買來的雕像，細意把玩，滿心歡喜．雕像由人所塑，以心馭刀，沒有一刻相同，雕像也便是獨一無二．谷主為了追求完美，一無所得；當放棄了心中的執著，卻擁有全部．

雕像面部表情豐富，寥寥數刀，多一刀是多，少一刀是少．眉頭眼額中，是愛，是恨；是怒，是怨；是喜，是哀；是威嚴，是憐憫，莫衷一是．木本無情物，人卻是有情人．心中所思，也便是雕像所想．

I』d like to introduce a woodcarving which I bought at the booth of Professor Gu yue-zi (a great master of landscape root sculpture) in 2008 Hong Kong Flower Show at Victoria Park.

This sculpture of Guan Gong is 8.5cm wide by 35 cm tall with 30 annual rings.  Just a small section of the trunk already revealed 30 annual rings.  It』s believed that the tree itself should be several hundred years old.  Annual rings were clear and it』s obvious the timber from the South where there』re four distinct seasons.  Wood was hard which was suitable for more finely and delicately carving.

The handiwork was rather crude without further touch-up.  It was completed in a short time but demonstrated the 30-year dexterity of a sculptor.  The image of Guan Gong originated from his heart and then delivered from the knife to the wood.  Carved at one go with no hesitation or repetition.  The work was loaded with aura. 

On the day of purchase, there were quite a number of choices.  They looked the same at a glance.  However, when you studied carefully, they were slightly different.  Held one, found that it』s not perfect and put it down; took another one and put it down again…..  After agonizing for a while and still could not make up my mind.  I then went round the show.  After that, I put down my persistence and purchased along with my instinct.  I played with my purchase meticulously and was really pleased.  The sculpture was carved by people and the heart drove the knife.  No single moment was the same and every sculpture was unique.  I had been in pursuit of perfection but was empty-handed.  When I gave up the persistence, I had it all.

*translated by Mary Chung

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