Carvers’s Bench


Jade is so hard that metal tools cannot cut it. Only a harder stone like diamond or corundum can cut and shape jade. Its exceptional toughness makes jade ideal for the creation of intricate, fragile pieces. The Chinese carver’s bench is typical of the equipment on which many beautiful art objects were created. The corundum-tipped iron bit, powered by the feet of the carver, slowly transformed a jade boulder into a work of art.