Sun Fushan, an egg carving master from Wuxing district, Huzhou, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/hz66.com]

To most people, eggs are a form of sustenance.

To Sun Fushan, this common farm produce is the blank canvas with which he uses to create intricate pieces of art.

Zhang started fashioning creative works from egg shells more than 10 years ago when he chanced upon an egg carving that his friend had. Such was his interest in this art form that he even set aside his garment trading business to focus on learning the ropes of the craft that is believed to have originated in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

To excel in creating such art works, artists like Zhang need remarkably steady hands and patience as the egg shells are highly fragile. The process begins with removing the contents of the egg before tracing the design on the shell.

Zhang would then use an engraving tool to carve out the design. Most of his creations take about a week to complete, though he has created complex ones that took him a month.

Zhang can also carve on olivary nucleus and discarded wood. 

"I will teach for free as long as anyone wants to learn," he said. "I hope more people can experience the art of fingertips."

A close look at an egg carving by Sun Fushan. [Photo/hz66.com]