Creating a big world through leaf carving

Can you create a big world with a pen, a small knife and a piece of leaf? Du Wanli, 61, is a leaf carving master in Jinan city, capital of East China's Shandong province. She can create fantastic works using these tools. [Photo: Iqilu.com]

Leaf carving firstly came into Du's life in 2001. When she accompanied her sick mother in the hospital, she unconsciously tried to carve with leaves and fell in love with this art. Ten years' practice made her a skilled leaf craftswoman, who had created thousands of works including carvings on fingernail-sized boxwood leaves and landscape carvings which are 50 centimeters long.

Leaf carving is a time-consuming and complicated art, which needs sufficient preparations including collecting, selecting, cleaning, air drying and storing leaves. There is always a unique story behind every leaf carving work.

"Every piece of leaf has its own venation and I have to pay much attention to it. It will be ruptured if I am not careful enough during the carving," said Du.