The lovely statue shown in the photo, with the slight crack in the neck, is the only representative piece of chia chu (pressed cloth) lacquer in the National Palace Museum's collection. There are different forms of lacquer works in traditional Chinese art. The predominant form involved using a wooden or metallic base mold, upon which the artisan painted layers of the resinous lacquer. When dry, the piece was carved and painted. There are several exceptional pieces of this variety on display at the museum. The chia chu method was different. A hollow statue mold, made of any material, was layered on the inside with pieces of fine cloth and lacquer. The resulting dried piece was removed from the mold and finished. Vegetable oil was applied to give the statue a lustrous sheen.
The chia chu method of lacquer work was first in common use during the Warring States Period (403-222 BC). Artisans fashioned numerous small household articles like jewelry and powder boxes. During the Eastern Han dynasty (75-200AD), Buddhism and the resulting spread of its artistic influence gave rise to the production of the lacquer statues and figurines of the various Buddhist deities. Easy to mass produce, these lacquer works reached a zenith during the T'ang dynasty (618-907 AD).
The most artistically beautiful works of chia chu lacquerware, however, were produced during the reign of the Ching dynasty emperor, Chien Lung (1736-1796AD), by the artist Shen Shao-an. His delicate, detailed figures exude a vivid life-like feeling. The museum piece, while not officially identified as Shen's work bears a stylistic similarity and has been dated as a Ching dynasty work.
Chairman of the museum's technological section, Liu Wan-hang feels that the crack in the neck is probably a result of the dry conditions in Peking, as lacquerware is best preserved at high humidity. However, the crack could also be a result of stress on the neck area from the heavier head and body.
Repairing the statue would not be difficult but the crack provides researchers with an invaluable source of information on the date of the piece and the materials used.
(Gerald Hatherly)
