A Brief Account of Tong Chek-sing and His Seal-carving Art

Renowned sculptor Tong Chek-sing (1920-2010) learned from an old engraver in his hometown when he was young. He thus honed his skills to professional competence and was capable of handling different kinds of materials. Tong settled in Hong Kong after the war. Working for a newspaper in his early days, he demonstrated unparalleled skills in carving types. Tong began to dedicate himself to cutting collectibles in his thirties. Since working at “Yiyi Seal Society” he gradually took up seal carving assignments for its owner Ho Siu-foon. Thus Tong got acquainted with many seal-craving artists and had the opportunity to discuss seal cutting with Deng Erya. In this essay, the writer introduces the characteristic and achievements of Tong’s carving on different materials, such as jade, ivory, bamboo, wood, steel, and purple clay teapots.