03/06/2025
你能猜出这个字是什么吗？Can you guess what is this word? (Scroll down to continue reading in English)
它就是「佛」字，但以我们西天园佛铺传统标志性的一笔成形风格写成。
为何要特地设计这样一种风格的字呢？
在雕刻神像时，我们会在神袍和头饰上雕出各种浮雕纹样，而这些纹样采用的是一种清初技法，名为「漆线雕」。
顾名思义，这种技法是用香灰制成的线，在神像表面缠绕、盘旋，勾勒出极细致的图案，如龙、菊花、牡丹、楼阁、祥云、海浪，当然也包括「寿」和「佛」这类字。
因为是用线来创作，所以许多图案的设计尽可能以连贯的线条完成。你若顺着线条去看，会发现其中有一种简约的美。
这就像是在三维表面上，用圣线写书法，而且是微型书法：第三张照片中的「佛」字，大小不过你的小拇指指甲！
[English translation]
It’s 佛, the character for Buddha, but written in the Say Tian Hng signature style using a single continuous line.
But why is there a need for this stylised character in the first place?
When depicting the relief motifs on the robes and headwear of the deities, we use an early Qing Dynasty technique named thread sculpture.
As the name suggests, it involves twirling and coiling a thin thread made of holy incense ash to depict tiny motifs of dragons, chrysanthemums, peonies, floating pavilions, clouds, ocean waves and, yes, characters such as 寿 (shou4 / longevity) and 佛.
Since it’s a thread we are using, many of these motifs were designed to be made with continuous lines as much as possible. There is a simple beauty when you follow the lines and flow.
It’s like doing calligraphy with a holy thread on a 3D surface, on a micro scale: The 佛 characters in the third photo is about the size of your pinky finger nail!
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