Expert: Important to protect lacquer skills

More than 350 representative pieces of Chinese carved lacquerware were exhibited in Beijing for the first time since they returned to the country after 42 years.

The exhibition, presented Dec 10-15 and jointly hosted by Beijing Arts & Crafts Marcopolo Trading Co, Shenzhen Zhenguxuan Arts Investment Co and Splendid Prosperity (New York), was part of the 9th Beijing International Cultural & Creative Industry Expo.

The lacquerware pieces are in various sizes and feature plates and vases with traditional decorative carvings of animals and flowers made by the former Beijing Lacquer Ware Factory in the 1950s and 1960s. They were presented at their birthplace - now the Molon Creative Park of Cultural Industries in the capital.

United States real estate business executive and collector Erwin Jaegar bought the items in 1972, when he visited China as a member of the delegation led by former US president Richard Nixon.

Jaegar was fascinated by the exquisite traditional lacquerware at the Marcopolo Arts Shop, which specialized in trading traditional art. He bought all the 1,200-plus lacquer pieces at the shop and shipped them to the United States.

In 2005, Jaegar, then 97, decided to donate the lacquerware to the Sino-American Culture Arts Foundation. An overseas Chinese acquired the pieces at a charitable auction in 2006 and shipped them back to China.

In 2013, Zhenguxuan and Splendid Prosperity (New York) presented some 200 pieces from the collection in Shenzhen, where they were widely acclaimed.

The Beijing exhibition is expected to help the art of carved lacquerware gain wider public understanding and attention, and promote the continuation of the art, says Zuo Anli, general manager of Arts & Crafts Marcopolo.

Makers of the lacquer pieces from the former Beijing factory were also invited to the exhibition.

Some of the artisans, such as Wen Qiangang and Yin Xiuyun, have become masters in the art, so the exhibits are highly valued among collectors, Zuo says.

Beijing lacquer carving is one of the capital's most famous traditional crafts. In the past, carved lacquerware was regarded as a luxury product, used exclusively for royal decorations and state gifts.

In 2006, the craft was listed as a national-level intangible cultural heritage.

Li Zhiyi, former head of the Beijing factory, says the art involves very complicated procedures and techniques.

To make a lacquer piece, layers of rare natural lacquer are painted on a cast of bronze, silver or gold. The lacquer is then carved.

At least five craftsmen have to work together in about a dozen steps such as casting, base-making, paintwork, carving, and polishing to complete a lacquer piece, Li says.

It takes at least one year to complete a good piece of lacquerware. The lacquer painting, ranging from several dozen to several hundred layers, is extremely time-consuming, Li says.

Although carved lacquer has high artistic value, the craft is severely endangered for various reasons, Li says.

Increasingly expensive raw materials, complicated manufacturing procedures and exacting standards have contributed to the high cost and low productivity of the Chinese lacquerware.

There is a dearth of senior artisans and few young people are willing to be involved in such work because of challenges like the heavy smell of raw lacquer during the manufacturing process, says Lii, who has been involved in the art for five decades and devoted himself to passing it to future generations after retiring.

"It's important to protect these beautiful lacquer pieces," he says. "But it's more urgent to protect the craft itself."

liuxiangrui@chinadaily.com.cn