鬼斧神工(귀부신공)

자연의 귀부신공

귀신의 도끼와 신의 솜씨를 가리킨다. 
귀신이 도끼를 휘둘러 만든 듯한 신비로운 솜씨를 의미한다.
사람의 솜씨라고는 도저히 믿어지지 않을 만큼 기교나 기량이 아주 뛰어나고 훌륭하다.
건축이나 조각 등의 기교가 사람의 솜씨라고는 생각할 수 없을 정도로 정교한 경우에 비유적으로 쓰는 표현이다. 
神工鬼斧(신공귀부)라고도 한다.
재경(梓慶)이라는 목수가 나무를 깎아 만든 북틀을 보고는 여러 사람이 귀신과 같은 솜씨라고 놀란 고사에서 유래한다.
spirit's axe and god's work
done by a ghost's axe and a god's workmanship 
extraordinary as if done by the spirits
supernaturally fine craft as if done by the spirits
superlative craftsmanship
extremely fine craftsmanship
extremely skillful
divine workmanship
uncanny workmanship
   
《莊子 達生》 梓慶削木為鐻，鐻成，見者驚猶鬼神。魯侯見而問焉，曰： "子何術以為焉？" 對曰： "臣工人，何術之有！ 雖然，有一焉。臣將為鐻，未嘗敢以耗氣也，必齊以靜心。齊三日，而不敢懷慶賞爵祿；齊五日，不敢懷非譽巧拙；齊七日，輒然忘吾有四枝形體也。當是時也，無公朝，其巧專而外骨消；然後入山林，觀天性；形軀至矣，然後成見鐻，然後加手焉；不然則已。則以天合天，器之所以疑神者，其是與？"
《장자 달생》 재경삭목위거，거성，견자경유귀신。노후견이문언，왈： "자하술이위언？" 대왈： "신공인，하술지유！ 수연，유일언。신장위거，미상감이모기야，필제이정심。제삼일，이불감회경상작록；제오일，불감회비예교졸；제칠일，첩연망오유사지형체야。당시시야，무공조，기교전이외골소；연후입산림，관천성；형구지의，연후성견거，연후가수언；불연칙이。즉이천합천，기지소이의신자，기시여？"
Qing, the Worker in Rottlera wood, carved a bell-stand, and when it was completed, all who saw it were astonished as if it were the work of spirits. The marquis of Lu went to see it, and asked by what art he had succeeded in producing it. "Your subject is but a mechanic," was the reply; "what art should I be possessed of? Nevertheless, there is one thing (which I will mention). When your servant had undertaken to make the bell-stand, I did not venture to waste any of my power, and felt it necessary to fast in order to compose my mind. After fasting for three days, I did not presume to think of any congratulation, reward, rank, or emolument (which I might obtain by the execution of my task); after fasting five days, I did not presume to think of the condemnation or commendation (which it would produce), or of the skill or want of skill (which it might display). At the end of the seven days, I had forgotten all about myself - my four limbs and my whole person. By this time the thought of your Grace's court (for which I was to make the thing) had passed away; everything that could divert my mind from exclusive devotion to the exercise of my skill had disappeared. Then I went into the forest, and looked at the natural forms of the trees. When I saw one of a perfect form, then the figure of the bell-stand rose up to my view, and I applied my hand to the work. Had I not met with such a tree, I must have abandoned the object; but my Heaven-given faculty and the Heaven-given qualities of the wood were concentrated on it. So it was that my spirit was thus engaged in the production of the bell-stand."