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Bao Tiancheng
Late Ming rhinoceros-horn carver of Suzhou whose work Zhang Dai listed among the matchless crafts of Wu
A craft workshop centres on a potter's wheel holding a tall celadon vase, amid racks of red lacquer boxes, an embroidery frame with a floral design, shelves of celadon ware, carved wooden panels and stacked logs, while one craftsman works at a table and another stands at a glowing kiln.
Also known as Signed Tiancheng
- Roles
- Master Craftsmen
Bao Tiancheng was a craftsman of the Suzhou area in the Ming, known for carving rhinoceros horn. In the 'Matchless crafts of Wu' entry of his Dream Memories of Tao'an, Zhang Dai named Bao Tiancheng's rhinoceros horn alongside Lu Zigang's jade and Zhu Bishan's silver, saying none could rival them for a century. Several surviving horn carvings carry the mark Tiancheng and are given to him or his followers, among them a ewer with chi-dragon decoration bearing his name.
Life and times
Dates Dates unknown; active in the late Ming