Page 65 - Bonhams Scholars Art and Instruments Hong Kong December 2, 2021

lower layer could be yellow or gold. During the Tang dynasty, the shapes appear, which in turn will develop into warping, bulging, and
overpaint method was more extensively used and can be seen on even loss of finish. In such cases, restoration of the lacquered surface
a number of famous Tang dynasty instruments such as ‘Dasheng must be carried out. Huang Cheng, a lacquer craftsman of the Ming
Yiyin’ (Reminiscent of the Great Sage), ‘Jiuxiao Huanpei’ (Sound of dynasty, explained how lacquered surfaces were restored in the Xiushilu
Jade Pendants Over the Sky), ‘Feiquan’ (Flying Spring), and ‘Kumu (On Lacquer Decoration):
Longyin’ (Dragon’s Song from the Withered Wood). With this method,
the transparent lacquer, which appears in a warm caramel hue after ‘When restoring an ancient instrument, it is particularly difficult to
refinement, is thickly applied on top of layers of vermillion lacquer, deal with the marks of flaking and streaking. It is a good restoration
giving more weight to the latter and eventually resulting in a clear and if the new lacquer could match the old ones in terms of colours and
smooth purple colour, which appears even richer than pure purple. The shades. When repairing the missing parts, one could paint clouds and
colours of the ‘Jingtao’ qin is, however, the result of another approach hazes over the marks, for example using vermillion lacquer over black,
of overpainting. First, vermillion lacquer was applied. The lacquered or yellow over red. In this case, even the colours of the lacquer and
surface was then dried and polished, before layers of black-brown decoration vary, the end result appears elegant and delightful.’
lacquer were painted over, dried, and polished again. During the
process, part of the paint film would become thinner, revealing the Indeed, in the process of oxidation, the colours of natural lacquer
lower vermillion layers to various degrees and presenting subtly different would be affected by temperature, humidity, and oxygen level in the
hues, especially at the corners of the instrument where the upper environment. Even if all the proportions of all pigments is precisely
layers of black-brown lacquer was even thinner. When the instrument adjusted, there will still be variables in the environment that are
was newly made, the vermillion layers were mostly invisible throughout beyond human control, resulting in subtle variations in the colours
the surface, but there was rather a warm, elegant purple colour that and tones. Restorations with lacquer of completely matching colours
resulted from the overlay of vermilion and dark brown layers of lacquer. are, therefore, impossible.

The ‘cloud embellishment’ restoration of ‘Jingtao’ Thus, the restoration of the ‘Jingtao’ qin was carried out using the so
The use and handing down of a qin is a process of removing the called ‘cloud embellishment’ approach, in which vermillion lacquer was
counterfeit and preserving the genuine, eliminating the crude and used to repair the missing lacquer layers, and then dried and polished
conserving the refined. A well-crafted instrument with perfect tone is to different degrees to achieve a visual effect similar to clouds and
treasured and passed on from generation to generation. In the case hazes. The marks on its body have suggested that the ‘Jingtao’ qin
of damage, which is inevitable in the process of being passed down, had three major restorations. The time of the earliest restoration cannot
repairs would be carried out by specialists. Once the finish of a qin is be determined. The second restoration was carried out and recorded
cracked and warped, it needs to be repaired and repolished to be fit for in inscription by Shuzhong Yidaoren in 1919, after it was acquired
playing again. The restoration of qin has therefore been practiced since by Mr Li. The third restoration was carried out afterwards for the new
ancient times. The ‘Jingtao’ qin has a lacquered wooden body, and the damages caused by subsequent use, focusing on the cloud and
wood expands or shrinks in response to changes in temperature and haze patterns painted in vermillion lacquer on the head and tail of the
humidity in different seasons. Where there is expansion or shrinkage instrument. The primary objective of qin restorers is often the wholeness
between body and lacquer over time, cracks and fractures of different of an instrument and its playability. The cracks on the surface below

Detail of ‘Jingtao’ qin Detail of ‘Feiquan’ qin, Tang Dynasty
驚濤琴局部 Palace Museum, Beijing
北京故宮藏唐代飛泉琴局部

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