Chinese Lacquer Art

Over the sweep of Chinese longstanding history,numerous treasures and heritages have been left over,among which the lacquer art is a brilliant one.China is the earliest country in the world using natural lacquer,In the early 1970s,archeologists unearthed a red lacquer wood bowl in an excavation in the     

Magazine Review

Storytellers and their Stories Nobody＇s growing up is without stories, especially for the generations of Chinese who grew up with the company of radios. Classic Chinese storytelling pieces are the most popular radio programs, like The Romance of the Three Kingdoms performed by Yuan Kuocheng, Heroes Biography of Yue Fei by Liu Lanfang in Sui and Tang Dynasties by Shan Tianfang, and Outlaws of the Marsh by Tian Lianyuan. Their influence goes beyond that of ordinary novels. Their four storytelling artists are household names now, dubbed as the Top Four Storytellers in China. This issue of Biographical Literature focuses on the four artists, telling the stories of these storytellers.     

~ultural Relic Hospital in Beijing Palace Museum

Beijing Palace Museum not only boasts a collection of more than 1.5 million piecessets of cultural relics, but also preserves many traditional Chinese techniques used for conserving and restoring cultural relics. Such techniques include framing ancient paintings and calligraphy, restoring and replicating bronze works, restoring ancient clocks, replicating ancient paintings and calligraphy, sculpting and enchasing of gems and jades, restoring ancient lacquer wares and wooden furniture, etc. With centuries of history, these techniques were passed down from genera- tion to generation. After continuous improvement and development, each traditional technique has formed a complete process. Laboratories for analytical testing and scientific research were also set up in the museum to provide the best methods for restoration and conservation so that the longevity of cultural relics can be guaranteed. In recent years, restoration experts have de- veloped and improved the flle of restoration. This provides a solid and detailed basis for future＇s research, conservation and restoration of cultural relics.     

Diverse Paper-cut Art of Hebei

Paper-cut, known as the most common folk art in China, can date back to the Shang and Zhoudynasties when Chinese ancestors engraved flower patterns on gold and silver spangles and cut leathers as decorations. The extant earliest unearthed paper-cut works were made during the Southern and Northern dynasties （420 - 589 AD）. The five pieces of paper-cut excavated from the three tombs of the period were all made of yellow paper.     

Haining Shadow Play： Legacy or the Song Dynasty

Shadow play, dubbed as “living fossil of Chinese arts”, dates back to the Spring and Autumn Period （771-475 BC）, which has been evidenced by the carved leather silhouette unearthed in 1966 from No. 1 tomb of Chu in Wangshan Hill, Jiangling, central Hubei Province.     

Perspectives on Sustainable Conservation of Cultural Heritage

UNESCO has recently warned the French Government that the Lascaux Cave would be listed as a World Heritage in Danger if no effective measures were taken in half a year to prevent its cave paintings from fungi attack. Cave paintings in the Lascaux Cave were of the greatest importance for the history of prehistoric art. Ironically, however, the threats that these cave paintings are faced now were caused by protection measures, In order to reduce temperature and humidity, an air conditioning system was installed in the cave. But soon after the system was installed, white fungus appeared on cave tops and wails. Last year, fungi attacked the cave again. Gray black fungi in various sizes formed on cave walls, which brought serious damage to scenes of those cave paintings.     

THE MYSTERY OF SANXINGDUI CULTURE

Stories about Sanxingdui Culture published in the magazine before have caught readers' great interest. So far there are three major viewpoints about the origin of this mysterious culture. Some experts note that unearthed artifacts in Sanxingdui were legacies of the ancient Shu Kingdom and have nothing to do with foreign cultures. But since no written records have been left about this culture existing more than three thousand years ago, those who support this hypothesis have to resort to a smattering of clues in ancient documents of ensuing periods as well as legendary stories. A rivaling opinion argues that this culture has some relation with the ancient civilizations of Western Asia, Central Asia as well as Aegean Sea. It is believed that Ancient Egyptians already knew how to produce bronzes in the period between 3 800 and 3 500 BC and it is quite possible that the technology was imported to China in some way. In recent years, however, some scholars, based on extensive studies, assert that Sanxingdui is a result of cultural exchange and assimilation. They hold that some tribe lost its way during the great migration of the ancient India-Iran tribes and misled itself to Sanxingdui. The tribe settled there and developed a culture that blends elements from both ancient central China and ancient India-Iran areas.     

Shanxi Handicrafts Fascinate World Expo Visitors

In the Shanxi Pavilion in the World Expo Park in Shanghai, some thirty handicraft masterpieces, including sculpture, lacquer, metal, embroidery and ceramics, are on display, representing superb craftsmanship and indigenous traditions of Shanxi Province.     

THE MYSTERY OF SANXINGOUI CULTURE

Stories about Sanxingdui Culture published in the magazine before have caught readers＇ great interest. So far there are three major viewpoints about the origin of this mysterious culture. Some experts note that unearthed artifacts in Sanxingdui were legacies of the ancient Shu Kingdom and have nothing to do with foreign cultures. But since no written records have been left about this culture existing more than three thousand years ago, those who support this hypothesis have to resort to a smattering of clues in ancient documents of ensuing periods as well as legendary stories. A rivaling opinion argues that this culture has some relation with the ancient civilizations of Western Asia, Central Asia as well as Aegean Sea. It is believed that Ancient Egyptians already knew how to produce bronzes in the period between 3 800 and 3 500 BC and it is quite possible that the technology was imported to China in some way. In recent years, however, some scholars, based on extensive studies, assert that Sanxingdui is a result of cultural exchange and assimilation. They hold that some tribe lost its way during the great migration of the ancient India-lran tribes and misled itself to Sanxingdui. The tribe settled there and developed a culture that blends elements from both ancient central China and ancient India-lran areas.[第一段]     

THE GAME OF GO AND SONG-DYNASTY GO STONES

Recently,I was lucky to see a set of go stones made in the Ding Kiln of the Northern Song Dynasty,The ceramic go stones feel so delicate and glossy as if the black ones were like lacquer and white ones like jade.     

AN EMBASSY TO CHINA

From 1419 to 1422, a large diplomatic mission consisting of 510 persons and dispatched by Timurid King Shahruh Bahadur paid a visit to the Ming Empire. The delegation member and painter recorded in his diary traditions and customs he saw along his journey and politics, economy, traditions and people of the Ming Dynasty. These notes were later compiled as “An Embassy to China”, which is now referred to as an important historical record for the study of cultural exchange between Central Asia and China of the time. The author, based on this literary work, reviewed that part of history on friendly exchange between China and lran.     

Lu Junjie＇s Purple Sand Pottery Art： Breakthroughs and Innovations

The exhibition on Lu Junjie＇s purple sand pottery art, held in the National Art Museum of China, offers viewers a rare opportunity to learn about explorations and innovations that the artist has made in this traditional form of art. His masterpieces present us a miraculous picture on the art of purple sand pottery and help us better understand his efforts in creating Innovative artworks by integrating traditions with modern concepts and techniques,     

THE APPEAL OF BLACK ：An interview with lacquer artist Zheng Chongyao

Autumn is the most beautiful season in Beijing. In the Chinese Lacquer Art Center located in the 798 Art District in the city＇s northeast suburb, soft golden sunrays of the autumn cast on an old-fashioned square table at the window, where Zheng Chongyao and I had an interesting discussion about lacquer.     

“Great Romance of the Three Kingdoms”Displayed in Beijing

<正>In celebration of the 30th anniversary of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship, the exhibition "Great Romance of the Three Kingdoms", presented by Art Exhibition China, traveled to seven Japanese cities including     

＂The Chinese Fever＂ in the British History

Porcelain wares were the most elegant present that China gave to Europe so that they are even called ＂China＂ in English. In the early 17th century when the Dutch people attacked Portuguese vessels and moved Chinese goods on the vessels to Amsterdam, the European women were so amazed by the elegance of the porcelain wares that they even did not dare to touch them. The production method of porcelain wares also has different versions in the West. Bacon （1561-1626） mentioned how the Chinese made porcelain in his book ＂The New Atlantis＂ （1624）. Thomas Brown （1605-1682） also pointed out two other ways of producing porcelain in the 17th century： to bury eggshells, lobster shells and plaster under the ground for 80 years; or to put the mud under the sunshine for 40 years. All these tales and legends made the porcelain wares even more sacred and precious.     

Image of China： A Photo Exhibition to Document Contemporary Chinese Life

In June 2004, a grand photo exhibition entitled Humanistic China: A Documentary Perspective was held in the National Art Museum of China (NAMOC). The exhibition, co-presented by NAMOC and Guangdong Museum of Art andthemed on “humanistic China, individualistic China”, displayed 592 choice works which were selected from more than 100,000 photos shot by some 1,000 photographers in the past half century.     

China in a Bumpy Way to Restitute Lost Cultural Property

At a special sale on the collection of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge held in Paris on February 25, in spite of repeated negotiations from the Chinese Government and strong protests from the Chinese people, Christie＇s, a world-famous auction giant, auctioned the rat head and rabbit head which were looted from China＇s royal garden＂Yuanmingyuan＂ in 1860 by the British and French Allied Forces. The two bronze heads were eventually sold for 14 million euro each. This shameful sale has again triggered out reflections on the restitution of cultural property looted or stolen from China.     

Haimen Mountain Ballads

In the mid and late Tang Dynasty, two sand deltas emerged in Jiangkou which were called Dong Zhou and Bu Zhou. In 958 AD, these two deltas were integrated into one administrative county named Haimen County. Haimen County saw a large number of south China immigrants during the mid- Qing Dynasty and became a place of diverse cultures. Mountain ballads of Wu Culture, which has a history of some 700 years, had great influence on Haimen's ballads. A Qing-Dynasty poet Huang Xian wrote his d…